Fate Maverick
by Demod20
Summary: 15 Years have passed since the events of Unlimited Blade Works. While Shirou has traveled the world in pursuit of his dream and Rin has honed her Magecraft from her time spent in the Clocktower a new threat emerges in the form of an unexpected forming Holy Grail. Taking up the fight once again, the two are joined faces new and old as they participate in the newest Holy Grail War!
1. I - The Chalice's Call

It's been fifteen years since the war of destiny; a battle for the Holy Grail of Fuyuki. Considered the Fifth time since its inception by the accounts of its founders, the Tohsaka, Matou and the Einzbernz families. During the climactic battle, held after the disastrous unveiling of the grail's true corrupt nature by the incarnated Heroic Spirit, Gilgamesh, who was the survivor of the previous conflict. Shirou Emiya, thanks to Avalon and Rin's Magic Crest, was able to utilize Unlimited Blade Works to utterly defeat the mad Heroic Spirit and in turn, Rin used the last of her Command Seals to order Saber to destroy the overflowing incomplete Holy Grail. With the war over, peace was had for the victors and a new relationship bloomed in the aftermath.

Though Shirou ultimately declined working for the Clocktower -thus a tentative relationship made with the Mage Association- and Rin went ahead to complete her scholarship degree to hone her Magecraft and become more distinguished. All the while, Shirou went on a sojourn across the world, searching for his own fate and living life as a vagabond hero; always willing to lend a hand or a blade to those who need it. This was the way things went, and every so often he'd return home to his beloved Rin, staying for a spell, before venturing off again while keeping in touch with her.

But, after a long while something occurred that pulled him away from his personal venture; something he hoped he'd never hear about again.

* * *

 **F-A-T-E M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K**

 **I**

 **The Chalice's Call**

* * *

Lord El-Melloi II had enough things on his plate to handle other than taking care of issuing out a debrief. He was in charge of the tasks of the El-Melloi family, much of which involved paperwork about ongoing Thaumatergy projects, ongoing excavations and restructuring more of the growing clan's coffers; but that mattered little to the higher-ups, of course. The man previously known as Waver Velvet had repaired the damage done to the man's noble house -the previous El-Melloi Head whom was a professor who lambasting him in his own classroom- which was left in shambles due his failure in the 4th Grail War. Even going as far as saving the Archibalds' research Kayneth nearly lost in his absence, he was heralded as 'The Savior of the Archibalds' and subsequently became the new Lord El-Melloi.

But the reminiscing of his pseudo-family's troubles and his own personal responsibilities came second to orders from the Queen of the Clocktower, Bathomeloi Lorelei.

Hearing a knock on the door, the long haired man didn't look up from the aforementioned papers he crammed in before the meeting. A belated sigh through the nostrils, and he raised his voice loud enough for the guests beyond to hear, "Enter."

"Sorry to take up your time, Lord El-Melloi-"

"The Second," He corrected with a stifled snort, raising his eyes up at the first entry into his office.

"Eh-yes, sorry," Rin Tohsaka apologized again, entering the room dressed the part of being a regaled and accomplished Magus of the association. A crimson, long-sleeved coat, complete with its own hood, draped past her onyx dyed skirt and similiarly hued stockings. Her blouse was a burgundy with a bow that possessed the crest of her family in its center. Her hair, left long and down past the middle of her back, ruffled on her shoulders as she hauled in the second entrant.

By his left ear.

"We would've been here sooner if this slacker had gotten out of his bed on time," She added, too sweetly, much to the chagrin of the tall adult that hobbled in, undignified-like. He was dressed in what looked like a personal craft of a Magus: a crimson long-sleeved coat with black form-fitting plating that was akin to the fabric framing the front of his torso, while the rest of his slacks were black down to the boots below. The red haired man's complexion looked a bit more tan after the decade and a half he fought the Fifth War, but his matured physique and defined jawline did little to soften the look of annoyance crossing his amber eyes and the bed-head look his spiked red hair had.

"No need to grovel, Missus Tohsaka," Lord El-Melloi II replied smoothly, holding a hand up to her for emphasis, gesturing to the pile of papers -some of which were stacked neatly while the rest yet-to-be-done were left astrewn in front of him- for example. "Due to recent developments for the Archibalds in various fields I've fallen behind with filing and ordering work to be done due to my lectures to my various students-in-waiting. Catching up for an additional half hour was a bit refreshing; so long as you don't make it a habit, I can disregard the tardiness."

"Thank you so _much_!" Rin emphasized, releasing Shirou's ear long enough to pull on his scalp to bow with her to seated man; much to the red-head's chagrin.

"Right," Waver sighed, clasping his hands together, awaiting for them to take their seats. Once properly settled, he began addressing the pair in his usual pensive stoic stare -one that those who didn't know him thought was a passive scowl- as he looked into both of their eyes with the utmost seriousness. "I'm sorry to pull you away from your respective duties and personal ventures, but as you've no doubt been told, this situation is something we couldn't afford to not call you both."

"You mentioned it had something to do with the previous Grail War?" Shirou finally spoke up, though Rin seemed to share the sentiment by silently nodding with agreement.

"In part," The man replied, his attention veering back and forth between the two while his hands folded onto the desktop. "You were the victors -or rather, the survivors- of Fuyuki's Fifth Holy Grail War. While you were publicly lauded by the Mage Association for the accomplishment, the Clocktower opening its doors to you both, the whole situation seemed suspect given you had no prize to showcase the spoils. So you were both investigated, discreetly, and everything that was found out was classified and kept under locked file. Did you know what they found out?"

"That the game was rigged from the start?" Rin asked, rhetorically speaking, with a glare armed at Lord El-Melloi II as if he was targeting her for something when she knew better.

"Funny you mention that," The Archibald head raised a brow at Rin's retort. "From the information we uncovered, it seems that Kirei Kotomine didn't just spontaneously become a menace to the Mage Association on accident. He was in complete confidence with your father in the Fourth War, even going as far as misusing the Overseer -whom was his father- to abuse the neutrality and access of information he possessed to give them an advantage over the competing masters. Allegedly, it seems that he may have murdered him at some point along with your father, which corroborates with the testimony you gave the association upon your immediate questioning. Had you been present in the previous war and a willing participant if not assistant to him in any way, you would be in particularly hot water with both the Church and the Mage Association."

"But I wasn't part of my father's schemes, so we can just drop that," She flatly rebuked, her eyes getting steely as her hands balled up on the arm rests of the wooden chair.

"Tohsaka," Shirou began to intercede, trying to placate his romantic partner. "Can we not be confrontational? It's not his fault-"

"Emiya, I rather not be patronized by the man who couldn't be bothered getting up on time for our meeting! You got us to the plane in record time, but now suddenly you can't be bothered to wake up on time!"

"Uh...but...you were the one who set the alarm and told me you'd wake us both up," Shirou sheepishly corrected her. This caused her to shift from irate anger to something akin to shock and shame. Seeing her become beet red, Shirou backpedaled and scratched the back of his head, chuckling aloud. "Then again, I bear some blame when I insisted to set my alarm too."

"Y-You better remember that, Shirou," She stammered under her breath, looking away a bit cutely while he smiled at her endearingly.

Clearing his throat, Waver continued the point of his bringing it up, "What we had discovered was that the Greater Grail that was used for Fuyuki had, at some point, been tampered with in the past. Something poisoned the wish granting device and thus made it very chaotic and unwieldy to even experienced mages. Thanks to your efforts, that source should be theoretically cleansed; only time will tell if it destroying the corruption has done any good.

"As for how that relates to this matter...we found that, upon its destruction, a piece of it was missing. We didn't think anything of the time, normally when an artifact of such importance is eradicated, the pieces usually dissipate after awhile. Mana unattended usually just converts back into its original form once the miracle is complete or is disturbed. However, there was a distinct presence that wasn't there before that had secured a piece of the grail not long after you had concluded your business in the war. The culprit has been sure to cover its tracks and we cannot identify who or what has it and what plans for it are fathomable for something as powerful of a relic as this."

"If you don't know who took it, how much good would a piece of the grail be?" Rin asked, her eyes furrowed with confusion. "From what I'm told, the Greater Grail is manufactured out of a vessel of some sort; the incarnated servant of Golden-Boy twisted it by shoving its core into an unfit vessel before all of the Servants' energy could be fused into it. Even from something as broken as that has a use?"

"Every piece of history has significant relevance to the existence of a Miracle that can be performed. So long as it is authentic, you can theoretically create the grail based on the Thaumatergic DNA belying its excreted fragments. It's not too different how the Lesser Grail creates the re-imagined Heroic Spirits that possess the personality, soul and desires despite being a phantasmal familiar," The Archibald Head explained smoothly, not skipping a beat in this debrief. Frowning, he licked his lips and looked at the paperwork in front of him, as if envisioning the problem. "But because the Greater Grail's fragment has been recovered by a party unknown, they can craft their own grail to suit their own ends; unknowns can lead to a cataclysm to humanity or a billion curses ready to spill forth, the consequences too great to ignore."

"Well, we'll do what we can to stop it," Shirou assured him, his eyes lighting up and his smile matching his overflowing confidence oozing every iota of his being. "If we did it once on accident, we can do it assuredly again on purpose."

"Smooth," Rin snorted, smirking at her husband's response being awkward yet straightforward. It was the endearing part of his character why she fell in love with him in the first place. Foolish to a fault, he may be a damaged man but his forthright chivalrous attitude was sincere in a world clouded by self-serving, amoral entities and factions. In the decade in a half she knew him, she's glad he hasn't wavered from what made him great.

"If you're both in agreement then I'm told, on behalf of the Mage Association and the leadership of the Clocktower that we are forever thankful for your contribution to our efforts in reducing a potential tragedy to something more manageable," Lord El-Melloi II drummed out, as if rehearsed, before straightening up in his seat and placing his hands on the armrests. "Now, if you require any form of catalysts for the summoning, I'm to assist you in any way we can; within reason of course."

"Since you're feeling generous," Rin cheekily leaned forward, cocking her head to the side while giving a look that made the older man shift uncomfortably in his chair. "I have a few suggestions, if you got the time."

"You can send me the list you have in mind, Missus Tohsaka. If that's all you really need, I have to tell you where we've detected the Ley Line in where the Holy Grail is supposed to manifest," He informed, making sure not to look too long in Rin's eyes for fear of feeling his spine leap out of his back in fright of such an intimidating stare. Seeing she was getting nowhere, she sighed and leaned back into her seat a bit dejectedly, with Shirou smiling sheepishly at her attempt to weasel a favor from the professor. Withdrawing a manila folder for each of them, they both took their sample and flipped through the contents of information necessary for the task at hand. "As you can see, this is a bit of a hot-spot for us to operate in. With an approximate Christian presence of a little over 2%, the Overseer is on high alert there for the faintest sign of trouble. Given the information we shared with the Church, they were very careful in who they chose; unfortunately, his usefulness may be a minimum to veterans of the war like yourselves."

"And since when has the Church done my family any favors?" Rin inquired with a pointed scowl towards the Archibald Head.

"Quite," He deadpanned, continuing his explanation once her eyes returned back to her folder. "So mind yourselves when in this country. While it is a neighbor to Japan, _India_ doesn't operate with the same sensibilities we do and thus their customs are a bit...traditional, one could say."

"We'll try to respect their culture," Shirou proffered with a small smile, turning to look a bit more sternly at Rin who didn't look back at him. "Right, Rin?"

"Hm, sure," She dismissed offhandedly, flipping through some pages and photos. "I don't suppose we're privvy to the identity of the other masters?"

"Respectfully, when the other candidates stepped forth, we didn't disclose personal information to the others when they had went through proper channels. As much as it pains me, I must give them the same courtesy and not inform you either," Lord El-Melloi II smiled, seeming to enjoy the disappointment stewing in Rin's half covered by the folder. "But, I'm sure it isn't without merit that both of you enter as masters into this war."

"Both?" Rin and Shirou asked this at once, exchanging looks and then at the man sitting across from them.

"Yes, both. I don't see why not, given we're asking the two of you to help us solve the mystery and hopefully lay claim another victory to your family name," Waver replied in affirmation, clasping his hands together as he measured the both of their countenance thoroughly. "However, this is within the boundaries of you keeping the tenets of the previous grail wars and that you don't slander the delicate reputation you've set yourselves up over the past fifteen years. Hopefully you won't squander this by making fools out of yourselves?"

"We definitely won't!" Shirou enthusiastically insisted, while Rin just looked ecstatic at having two Servants aiding them instead of just the one she was expecting.

Things seemed to be going well for them; inwardly, they wondered when that luck would go sour?

* * *

The time has come.

Kyrios Cirque had invested an ample amount of time into the rising fame of his name, in both company and reputation as a Magus. Operating out of the Mediterranean almost exclusively, the mage had done everything from solving hauntings, discovering lost sites of ancient time to creating revolutionary technology that infuses natural resources with mana absorption. Needless to say that his willingness to participate in this sudden grail war was fortuitous, given the artifact he had just obtained.

The mark had appeared on his hand not long afterwards.

There was a certain kind of exhilaration that came with finding that you were chosen, at random, to be a part of the prestigious event known far and wide in the world of mages. Though his family had recently become established since his taking the mantle as its leader, he nor his ancestors have left any definitive mark like some of the most noteworthy clans or noble families that have come before his time. This was the golden opportunity to show that it isn't just riches and influence that he possessed but the natural inclination that he was deserving above all others; something that he was determined to earn, if necessary.

Looking over an extravagant vista of the excavated site where they found his prize, the white cloaked man surveyed the beauty of the island he was currently based at. Holding his hands behind him -concealing the mark as Master with it- he was eager to begin the ritual. If this grail was unlike any other, it would do the heavy lifting and all he needed to do was obtain the Servant he desired through simply calling it forth. Inhaling deeply, he exhaled, hearing a knock on his room door as if on cue.

"Enter," Kyrios allowed with a brisk sound of his voice.

Opening the door, a woman of voluptuous curves wearing a pencil skirt finessed into a business suit tightly wrapped around her figure. Her skin was considerably closer to the average persuasion of those living near the sea, olive hue with a hint of caramel, which reflected in light amber eyes and a propped up bun of dark hair akin to mousse in texture and color that was braided by a pair of delicate silver crosses with rubies encrusted between the intersecting lines. With lips of burgundy and eye shadow of amethyst, her appearance reflected the extravagance of being an assistant to someone as revered as the man standing with his back to her.

"Preparations are all set according to your design, Mister Cirque," She informed him, her voice a brush of exotic butter with a cool ice that tempered any expectations. Looking at him up and down, she regarded him audibly. "I see you're dressed for the occasion."

"Of course," Kyrios turned around, exposing the fullness of his apparel. It was more accurate that the untarnished white cloak was a traveler's garb, with its hood unfastened to show his clean shaven head, revealing cobalt painted marks along his forehead that wrapped over and around his cranium in a particular pattern intricate to its design and fitting to his style of otherworldly influence. With eyes of bright green and his chin sporting a black goatee of a sharpened extension, the broad jawline and strong cheekbones filled out without seeing the equally white suit beneath his cloak that he was a man who prided his physique as well as his prowess in mystical power. "If I am going to summon someone as noteworthy as he, I must look my best."

"Well, at least you'd show up any of those slack-jawed simpletons in the Clocktower when it comes to fashion," She snorted, giving him an approving nod with a curled smile. "It'll do, though."

"Is the car ready?" Kyrios asked, though was already walking across the room without waiting for an answer.

"I wouldn't be up here if it wasn't," She replied smartly, already turning back to walk in front, though he quickly joined her right side with an expression -that her periphery could tell- was nothing but pure eagerness. "I can see you've been antsy."

"How can I not? For the first time in my family's existence, the Grail has chosen one of us; chosen me!" He ecstatically proclaimed, withdrawing his right hand to admire the design of blood hue carvings. Its image was that of a cyclops, with the head being the outermost carving while the face and the eye being the latter-most fixtures of its theme. "It stung for a bit, but it sure looks beautiful."

"Marks of blood burning onto a Mage's hand? Seems more than likely its an acquired taste, to be sure," She replied bluntly.

"Angelika, it seems you're not into this as much as I am," Kyrios noted, looking over at her from his staunch height while her head turned to his shoulder and looked up sardonically at him. "Is it because I gave you all that extra work to make sure this event was discreet?"

"If you had decided to do this at night, I wouldn't have to pull so many strings to ensure no one gets any funny ideas. So yes, I may be a little cranky, _sir_ ," She emphasized with deadpan stare.

"Well, I'll make sure to give you a nice weekend off for doing such a stellar job."

"Oh thank God," She exclaimed with an exaggerative raise of her head and arms. "Make sure a hot tub is included with that. I could use a tub right about now."

"In due time," Kyrios assured her with a chuckle, joining her in the elevator ride down. Passing by the lobby, only authorized personnel were allowed to be present; most of the usual employees and staff were vacated for the day, as per his request. Getting into the limousine, Angelika drove him to the site he was talking about. While being transported there didn't take very long, Kyrios couldn't help but soak in the scenery. This land was a part of ancient Greece's culture, written about in one of the most regaled epics that's still lauded to the modern day.

The isle of Ithaca, still populated by several thousand, now was going to be the starting point of Kyrios's journey into winning the Holy Grail War.

Pulling up to a recently broader excavation team's work on an old patch of preserved ruins, the car stopped and Kyrios stepped out of the vehicle towards the patchwork of beige to grey colored buildings that once was a stretch of structures that were of full splendor and glory to the one who lived within it. There, in the most center building was a ritual circle, comprised by red clay arranged in a pattern akin to a hound native to the isle's ruler; enamoring the outermost ring of the magic with ancient Ithacan coins.

Most importantly was an old, almost fossilized remains of a legendary bow. Though worn beyond conventional use, its string all but frayed and useless, the frame was intact and the elements were shielded from its earthly tomb beneath the palace's floor. With the setting set to his liking, Kyrios raised his hand, ready to begin the summoning.

* * *

Cleetus Silver wasn't your generic, run-of-the-mill Magus. Calling him such would be both a disrespect to his craft and an insult to legitimized mages in the association. No, what he was -if you'd run it on layman's terms- is a hunter. He'd specifically walk about the southern States near the border down Mexico and sometimes stray into Central America. There he was an expert at ferreting out trouble of many kinds: Monsters of unholy origin, spirits that haunt ancient remains to the still living and ill-gotten sorcerers fulfilling their evil agendas.

If nothing else, he was often mistaken as a Magus Killer due to his efficient means of countering mages that he comes to blows with or those he was contracted to eliminate. This reputation led him to being given a line to the Mage Association, to ensure they keep him closer than not and that there'd be no more mistakes made of his allegiance made. The only thing they were kept in the dark about were what his true colors lied.

"Cleetus? Cleetus?" A voice broke him out of his reverie, his face covered by a cowboy hat and his back resting against a sand-formed hill. Tipping his hat up with a trusty revolver -one inscribed with a red cross on cylinder- he peeked his blue eyes through the hem of his hat at the source of the voice. It was Sofia, his trusty sidekick and trusted comrade for the past five years. Found her being abused nary beyond the border, he rescued her and took her under his wing, helping her as much as she has for him. One of the quirky things about her was her choice of attire; a large sombrero hat of red and white hue painted on its straw make-up, the rest of her attire being a rough leather that was adorned with bandoleers holding his extra ammo, pouches of cleanser and salve to medical equipment for emergencies.

"Yeah, what is it, Sofi?" The bounty hunter asked with slight begrudging at being disturbed.

"I set up the magic circle like you asked," She plainly stated, blinking widely at him while crouching just behind his lying head. "You said to wake you up when I was done. It's done now. Wake up."

"Tch, if ya insist so strongly," Cleetus retorted, snorting as he arched his body upright, still seated on the sandy earth. Just beyond his gaze was a set of pavement of what looked like part of the road, now occupied for the aforementioned circle. It was the byproduct use of goat's blood, little candelabras forming the corners of what looked like an elaborate cross etched in the blood-drawn sigil. A box containing the catalyst lied nearby, containing what he was told could be part of a very special chair; whatever the blasted Hell that meant to a man like him! "Well-Well, ya did good, darling. You have my thousand thanks for this delicate task so we may never go hungry again or pay taxes forever!"

"I think it's impossible for you to thank someone a hundred times, Cleetus. Let alone a thousand," Sofi remarked blankly.

"Tis called an expression', darlin'. Don't take what I say ta' seriously all ta' time," He dismissed her with a roll of his eyes. The handlebar mustache'd man with a long nose and a tanned complexion had been serious in taking up this tremendous task. Though he has felled many beasts for the union-like group, the Mage Association, favors for the Church and even accepted jobs from simple folks to entire towns and cities for his services, this was the biggest opportunity yet. Something out of a Catholic fairy tale of a golden cup that could grant wishes could help him never have to rely on the next job to pay the bills, restock armaments or feed himself and his partner again. That and his duties to his specific group he was a part of that helped him get where he is to this day, from training to weaponry and the power to enchant items as he does in the name of the most high Lord. "Welp, this circle won't summon on its own, now won't it?"

"I think that's the point of you summoning it, Cleetus," She replied bluntly.

"Stop bein' such a smartass, Sofi! Not healthy for a girl yer age."

"I'm twenty three, though."

"Phrasin', darlin'! Phrasin'!" He crowed back, stomping his way to the circle and pulling off his right black glove, revealing what looked like an intricate marking that resembled a cup framed by the etchings of a throne. Holding out his hand, he concentrated his Prana and began to invoke the incantation; to the best that his vernacular would allow.

* * *

"Alright, it's time to summon!" Rin Tohsaka cried out with glee. She had been ecstatic that, after a period of waiting for a couple of weeks, she got her mark bearing the right of being a master. Unfortunately for Shirou, he received no mark this time around and she couldn't help but feel sympathy. He had accidentally entered the last war out of sheer luck and happenstance; it was unlikely such an occurrence was going to repeat itself, even if she wanted it to.

"And you're sure this will work?" Shirou inquired, feeling a bit dubious about the intricacies of the summoning involving a particular catalyst.

"We discussed this, Shirou," Rin answered with a sigh, turning towards him, blue eyes drawn to his amber irises as she gestured to his chest. "You have the catalyst. Avalon dwells within you All you need to do is be within a tangible distance to the ritual and the ceremony will take care of the rest. I have a few back-ups in case the summoning goes wrong but I made sure to distance them for the moment; don't want anything crazy happening!"

"Well, if you're sure," The Grail War veteran replied, unsure but trusting his wife to handle the delicate process. He never properly summoned so this would be his first time watching it done by a professional.

The room they were using was provided by the Mage Association. It was an attic-space, clutter that used to exist from the dormitory have been cleaned and rearranged in an orderly procession to give them plenty of space for the floor boards to use Quicksilver in a glimmering circle, not too dissimilar from the one marked in his shed. With faith that Rin knew what she was talking about, he stood not more than a meter away from Rin as she held out her marked hand and began chanting, unaware of the synchronous incantation transpiring in the world of two others using the same summoning.

* * *

" **In this divine hour, I call upon you from the beyond. Stretching across the horizon, whose footsteps echo from past to present and the beholden future. We stand on the precipice of change and I will become the cogs for that change. Transform in glory and bask in honor; lean not in despair or weariness. Become my blade and I become your soul. As I embody all the good in this world our mission shall become a holy one, wrought with peril but meriting success. In victory I thrive and in defeat I lie among the bones of old. Come forth, and fulfill thy work!** "

* * *

Through the set of elongated chants came crimson light shearing the darkness of Shirou and Rin's room, the mana electrifying and objects becoming disturbed all around them. Where Cleetus saw, Sofia witnessed a brilliant white glow shine from the center of the magic circle and snap all around. Not much differently, Kyrios saw his own spectacle of light and magical energy rebound around his vicinity, his prana acting as the anchor for the coming vessel that would fulfill his dream.

* * *

Before Shirou and Rin stood a figure, tall and clad in silver armor with blue fabric resembling a cloak. The helmet bore the shape of a lion's, further complemented by the brown-beige fur segmented into parts of the helm, shoulder and arm plating flourishing about in a regal manner instead of a presumed wild kind of decor. Holding a brilliant white lance in one hand, the armored figure looked on with a visible incline, recognition clear behind the slits of the visor as emerald eyes shined enamored but the voice sounding older than either recognized.

"Shirou? Rin?"

* * *

Cleetus' summoning caused him to trip up and fall flat on his ass as a figure appeared from the light. White hair, unfurled and curled, golden eyes shining like gems stared onward after slow, steady blinks. His features were soft and chiseled to perfection, pale to a fault while the majority of his body was wearing gleaming armor of silver-lined steel and the marking of a red dragon entwined with a golden cross affixed to his breastplate. A brilliantly enamored sword was sheathed on his left hip and a inconspicuous shield was strapped over his shoulders, draped over his back where a purple cloak presided. Despite the muscular physique and his height, the bounty hunter could tell what he summoned...could be no older than a teenager.

"Hello there," He greeted, his voice musical and light, like feathers brushing silk as an overwhelmingly bright smile shined across his face as his eyes glinted. It was something that made Sofia visibly fluster and become stargazed; while it made Cleetus deadpan stare at the boy, even as he reached a hand down to help him up. "I believe you're my Master? I am Saber, a pleasure to meet you."

* * *

Just then, a brilliant plume of golden rays fired off, a visage of splendor and awe emerging from the center of Kyrios' meticulously crafted circle. Starting off in a kneeling posture, he rose to full height and revealed himself to the summoner. Bearing regal crimson robes that were wrapped around the neck over the shoulders and trailing down around him, his body was armored by brass plate-mail, greaves protecting the thighs up the chest around the shoulders and upper arms. With sandals covering his feet, the muscular man bore a leaf-worn crown of gold, his curled brown hair complementing the staunch jaw and bearded face, intense dark eyes that held an air of presence about him.

Kneeling before him, Kyrios bowed to him -which Angelika refused out of principle- as he greeted the man out of legend with a subdued, respectful voice, "Oh how the heavens smile upon me. Fortuitous that I may gaze upon such a legendary face; King of Ithaca, and hero of the Trojan War, Odysseus!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello, ye readers of mine! This is my first attempt of writing anything related to the Type/Moon (or Nasuverse in general) Universe, headache as this may be. While I have many a qualm with the story written in the main canon and its periphery content, I can't help but find a special place in my heart for the UBW route, in which the 2014 Anime showed a spectacular story. It was so good that I decided to make this a sequel to that story, more or less.

Now, while there have been creations of these characters (and some that are not) I will largely be taking liberties for the sake of it being easier to write/describe them as well as it just being plain simpler to handle. Example, Saber Artoria, while being a Lancer will still have the same memories she had of her time spent with Shirou and Rin in the previous Grail War due to her unique circumstance. Likewise, while Galahad has his own design and placement as "Shielder", it only applies in the headache and a half that is "Fate Grand Order"; something that the "Lion King" Artoria exists and that just infuriates me. So again, to make things simpler, Galahad will be more or less only superficially similar to the FGO counterpart but will largely be my creation. And since Odysseus has yet to be made a legit Servant, he's free game as well!

I hope you enjoyed the new characters I whipped up. Cleetus Silver is kind of a spin on a joke my brother made for our Pathfinder campaign so I'm running with it as a character for this story. Kyrios is the kind of guy I'd like to be if I was anywhere as rich as he was and was a Magus in Type/Moon. And Shirou not being a Servant is okay, he's still going to play an important role in this whole deal; especially since Lancer Artoria is here!

That's it for me. I'll be going back to writing my other projects but I wanted to get this out of the way while I still had the drive to write it. So until I come back to this, I'll see you all on the next update!


	2. II - A Timely Arrival

Shirou couldn't believe they were already on their way to India. He thought that they'd have more time to plan and adjust to their existence being thrust back into the war. After all, the waiting period took at least a couple of weeks once the initial stages of selection had been made. But no, by the grace of their benefactors, the Archibalds -with the _Princess_ herself pushing forth that insistence- they make haste to their destination where the Ley Line connected. Provided with their own private plane, they departed not more than a day when completing the summoning.

The trip was a bit foreboding. After the reunion was met with warmth and nostalgia they had so much to talk about that had transpired. Fifteen years of growth on both of their parts. Rin had become a talented Magus, with the clout that even surpassed her father and a reputation for being a hard woman to please; especially whenever she deigned it fit to teach in a classroom in the Clocktower. Meanwhile Shirou had used what little time he had in the semester he was given for free to improve all the basics of Magecraft on top of his own skills. While he couldn't learn anything specifically useful in terms of unique abilities, he did find a bunch of applications for his pre-existing spells and had done nothing but hone them to the limit.

If he was being honest, he was anxious to show Rin just how strong he's become both as a man and as a Magus in years that he spent traveling across the globe.

"That smile," Came a melodic voice that brought goosebumps out of the grown man. Looking up from what he realized was his own clenching fist, he saw Lancer sitting apart from her in her own comfy first class seat. Given it was just them, the rest of the two dozen spacious blue fabric cushions were left bare, lit by the luminescent bulbs lining the overhead roofing above the chairs. A round table, meant for dining, separated the two as a nice round porthole window gave them a picturesque view of the ocean horizon and the clouds that swept by them in their scenic journey. Something that Rin wasn't taking notice as she was leaning her head against Shirou's left shoulder, sound asleep. After a brief glance at his wife, Shirou cocked his brow and glanced at the Heroic Spirit, now garbed in what looked like a black suit with a red collar and black tie; the likes of which bulged from the confines, a result of her voluptuous definitions she possessed now. Leaning against the seat, gloved hands resting on her lap, Lancer arched her head slightly at his face. "I see that your smile carries more warmth. It is less a mask and more filled with the spirit of a man who's moved past his regrets. You truly have grown since last I saw you."

"Yeah, well...I was a little surprised how you've...uh, grown too," He mentioned with hesitation, scratching his cheek while trying not to rudely awake his beloved. "I-In more ways than one, haha!"

"I sensed your bewilderment and embarrassment from the look on your face when I was first summoned," She replied, her face showing an endearing expression that contained her amusement at his almost childish anxiety. "I know, at the time, you simply wanted to converse with me as we've not seen one another in quite some time. While it feels but a breath for me, things are also...different, thanks to what you accomplished."

"You definitely look older, that's for sure," Shirou stated, affirming that there was a reason for that.

"While it is true that I remember fighting alongside you and Rin fifteen years ago, that was just one incarnation of my very being. There have been other paths that I took in the road of kingship. Perhaps I truly was a man, as the legends describe. Perhaps I had no qualm within my court but something else forced my hand to stain it with blood. Whatever the case may be, the Holy Grail only chooses one aspect of my legend and summons it; due to our bond, my memories are intact but I am physically from a different era," She explained, her green eyes narrowing and her smile dimming a little as her mind drifted back to her own timeline. "You see, I have been summoned as a Lancer. The spear that I am renowned for possessing is a holy relic, one that was of great power and closely linked to divinity. The longer I wielded it, the more my magically endowed body matured and my spirit along with it transformed. I am less a human and closer to what you could consider a Divine Spirit; a Goddess if you will."

"I mean, you do have an unusual calm aura about you. Not saying that you weren't always that way," Shirou began to correct himself, once again bringing a glint of amusement from Lancer's eyes. Chuckling at himself, he looked up at the ceiling, licking his lips and contemplating the right words, speaking them out loud as it came to him. "You just seem more content, if that makes sense? I always saw a bit of myself in you; someone who also feels regret, but just not in the same way I did."

"I understand, Shirou," She replied, drawing his gaze once more to hers. Her words -her warmth- ebbed enough that Shirou felt his own cheeks fluster at the compassionate look she gave him. "When I left Rin, I returned to my last moments; the tree where I breathed my last. I was at ease and finally peaceful, knowing what I've done cannot be undone or should be removed. I think in a way, I felt your presence even in the far future, as you knelt at my resting place."

Basking in the wave of contentment and the bond of friendship he established with Artoria, Shirou couldn't help but feel an ache gnaw at his gut. His smile dimmed and the memory of his family's close friend, Taiga, and Sakura having been victimized by the last grail war. Even the Einzbern homunculus died a meaningless death, something that haunts him given it transpired so close to his reach.

"And now, another grail is being formed and faster than any other, from what Rin said," Shirou intoned, his face construing into a serious expression, his grimace carrying to look at the window view from the plain. "It doesn't make any sense. Why now? Why here? If it isn't made by those other three families in Fuyuki, then who is behind it?"

"The Holy Grail is an artifact of intricate craftsmanship and requires enormous reserves of mana to enact even the basic summoning ritual for the Heroic Spirits," Lancer surmised, her brow tightening and her smile drawn to a thin lipped expression of consideration. Looking to the window with Shirou, her eye looked to his as she glanced at the skyline. "What we're dealing with here is possibly a cabal of resourceful mages who found a means of replicating the schematics of the Greater Grail by taking a piece of it. It is the most logical explanation, and it wouldn't make sense of someone that the Clocktower has close relations with who doesn't know about this development."

"Yeah, I can't think of any single faction, even in the Mage Association that has the power to just make a new grail so soon," The red-haired man replied, his sight picking up the outline of land consuming the rushing vista below their transport. He gauged it'd be only a few more minutes before they'd arrive at their destination.

"We'll figure this out," Lancer reassured him with that warm smile that made him feel jittery at the sight. "It'll be like old times, huh, Shirou?"

"Hopefully not exactly like it. I did almost die one too many times for my liking!" He exclaimed with a laugh, making Lancer join in with her own musical laugh.

* * *

 **F-A-T-E M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K**

 **II**

 **A Timely Arrival**

* * *

Upon landing, Shirou woke up Rin from her impromptu nap and they gathered their things to exit the plane into the greater airport. The sky was clear and the Sun shined with a miasma of heat, Shirou already feeling regret for wearing his trademark Magus robes he crafted himself. Thankfully traffic to get out of your own personal strip wasn't too bad, it was finding transportation through the greater city that was a bit troubling. The city itself, thankfully had some people that he could use his and Rin's versed English (it was unlikely any of them spoke a lick of Japanese) to find a particular Church that the Overseer was staying in.

Chennai, the city they were in, was particularly important back in the 16th-17th Century when it was colonized by the British Empire. Fort Saint George still presides here and the presence of the Church was pretty applicable for the needs necessary for participating in this war. Heading to a smaller chapel where their glorified referee was set-up, Shirou hoped they'd get a bit more information -however vague it may be- on how many contestants have arrived in the same vicinity as them.

It was a small building, perhaps even smaller than the one Shirou visited back in Fuyuki, but it still had a steeple and an arching ceiling with triangular roofing, a bell presiding in a tower of sorts where the steeple jutted from the main building. Entering into the structure, they'd find a single figure reading from a bible at the pulpit. He looked inconspicuous: blonde hair, his complexion tanned thanks to the climate here and possessed blue-green eyes while wearing a priest's black shirt and slacks with a single brass cross necklace dangling around his neck. Other than a cane -one Shirou identified as concealing a weapon- he looked innocent and composed.

"Greetings, Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka," The Priest greeted, his smile present as he lifted his face from the passage he was previewing while standing near the pulpit. "I trust your journey from London wasn't too tarrying."

"We managed," Rin remarked coolly, her jaded opinion of the Church visibly present as her glare was aimed at the near-placid look of disarming neutrality the priest projected. "We hoped to get acquainted with you before we were on our way."

"Oh, where are my manners?" The priest gasped, closing the book and leaving it on the surface of the pulpit. Walking down with a limp -or what Shirou thinks could be a feigned one- he reached out to shake Rin's hand and Shirou's. "My name is Father Maxim Grand. Maxim to you, of course, since service doesn't begin in another few days."

"Does anyone ever make the mistaken of calling you _Grand_ father, Father Grand?"

"Yes, laugh it up now," Maxim replied with a long-winded sigh, his face becoming long and his eyes deadpanning at Shirou for asking the question. "But yes, it's happened one too many times."

"Oh relax a little, Overseer," Rin waved a hand dismissively, armed with an amused smirk at Maxim much to his chagrin. "Besides, a little good humor is needed with an unusual case like this event, right?"

"Yes, about that," The Overseer remarked, leaning on the cane and addressing the both of them with a more serious countenance. "Due to the severity of the implications to this Grail War, I'm told to at least give you some bare bones information that might effect your participation. This isn't simply a battle royal of vying families trying to make a name for themselves or mages lusting for power and glory. There is a power struggle within the Clocktower and word of your entry hasn't gone unnoticed by the other factions."

"What do you mean by that?" Shirou inquired, his eyes furrowed and Rin's eyes steeled with a glare.

"Some strings were pulled and a particular person of interest has been sent here on a very dangerous quest. In order to uncover the truth of the grail's manifestation, the mystery is being handled by the Mage Association's Top Enforcer," He explained, his eyes lingering to their expressions. Shirou's was of perplexity and Rin's eyes bulged with realization. "Does the name Bazett Fraga McRemitz ring any bells?"

"I'm not sure if I've had the pleasure," The red-headed Magus remarked, turning to look at Rin's paling expression. "Tohsaka?"

"That's...that's not good at all!" She exclaimed, a hand raised to cover her mouth while sweat formed over her brow. "She's one of the most dangerous mages in the known world. If someone in the Clocktower hired her, then she's most definitely on a payroll to kill or capture the perpetrator," Briefly stopping, she dropped her hand and looked cautiously at Maxim. "Is she a master or is she alone? This is really important."

Maxim guardedly retracted his emotions and formed the fakest of smiles, though his eyes shown nothing but pity to her. "I'm not at liberty to disclose the information of participating masters in the grail war, Missus Tohsaka. You should know better than to ask the same question twice; given your benefactor already gave you the answer."

For awhile, Rin didn't say anything. Her blue eyes pulsated, her body tensed and Shirou worried that she was going to lash out at the priest. But just as suddenly as her body language showed hostility, she also put on a false look of apology, her smile sweet and her curtsy nothing but flowery to the Overseer, "Forgive me, Father Grand. You can't blame a girl for trying?"

"Greater personalities have tried before, Missus Tohsaka," Maxim replied with a chuckle, his smile bearing more sincerity now the atmosphere regained its amicability. "I may be new to this thing, but I have been trained for this eventuality. Please, make yourselves familiar with the city and the terrain. I believe the true battles aren't far off for you three; including Miss Lancer."

Shirou didn't think he'd get chills from what looked like a disarming priest, but he managed to surprise him regardless. While Rin had a great aptitude of concealing her prana when necessary, the man didn't even bat an eye when he made such an astute observation. Was this just the byproduct of being the Overseer, or was he perhaps possessing an adept form of the Mystic Eye?

"Oh we plan to," Rin too-sweetly stated with a bat of her eyes. "Now, that being said, we must depart now. Come, Mister Emiya."

"U-Uh sure," Shirou replied quickly, turning to bow respectfully to Maxim whom readily returned it. As he turned to walk out with Rin, he blinked with confusion at the encounter with the man. He didn't strike him as the man with a threatening air of ominous presence that Kirei Kotomine did. Yet, for some reason, he felt as if this man stared death in the face and was not the least intimidated by their entry; let alone was surprised by who they were without even looking up from his book. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the priest waving at him, already back at the pulpit -without making a sound- bible open in one hand and his hand gesturing towards him as he smiled simply back at the two.

" _I'll try not to let his innocent behavior fool me. If there's anything I learned from the last grail war is not to let appearances deceive you,_ " The red-haired Magus thought, finally exiting the chapel with Rin back into the open city.

* * *

" **I've got one of the suspects in my sights** ," A man's voice silently proclaimed, his person disguised to be akin to one of the many populace walking down the streets in droves. Unassuming in every way, the garbs were a mishmash of traditional robes of the people's religion in this country, concealing anything that resembled something of an outsider. Face covered by the garbs and a hood wrapped over his head, he spotted the aforementioned pair he relayed without speaking out loud to another far away. Black plating-fabric and crimson long-sleeved jacket with a pair of dark slacks and boots, the man wore a red sash around his head akin to a headband with crimson scarf that was pulled up over his lower facial features. The other was a woman with long black hair, pale skin and blue eyes, wearing a hooded crimson coat over a red and black blouse leading to a dark skirt covering her black stockings and shoes. It was easy to deduce which one was the master; on the surface, that is. " **One Rin Tohsaka by the description. The other looks a bit odd but seems to be acting as an escort. A bodyguard, perhaps?** "

" **Details, please,** " Came a low, feminine voice in the forethought of his mind.

" **Six Foot Three inches, lean and built like a warrior but wears trappings intricate in make that more than likely is that of a Modern Magus. Tanned complexion, crimson hair and amber eyes-** "

" **I know who it is.** "

" **Oh? Don't keep me in suspense, Master,** " He replied with subdued smarm.

" **Shirou Emiya, victor of the Fifth Grail War and survivor of the Fourth Grail War, adopted child to one Kiritsugu Emiya. The description fits him, given what the Mage Association's files have documented on his exploits in the past fifteen years, especially.** "

" **It seems like you know more about him than I do. What are your orders?** " He inquired.

" **Keep observing them. While it is unlikely in the chance they are the architects of this new grail it isn't out of the question they are pawns of the true mastermind behind it. Besides, we're in this war, might as well gather intelligence on them.** "

" **They seem to be unguarded apart from an incorporeal servant they bound to have nearby. Are you sure you don't want me to handle them?** "

" **As much as I'd like them removed from the board that insufferable priest said it's against the rules. It's an unspoken law that participants in the grail war not fight during daylight or be seen by non-mages. Last thing we need is to step on the toes of those that hired me.** "

" **Just checking,** " The man grinned beneath his facial covering. " **Killing someone unaware in the middle of the day is, after all, my specialty.** "

" **We'll see later. For now, keep an eye on them and gather more intel. I'll keep following a lead on my own end.** "

" **As you wish, Master,** " He acquiesced, resuming his discreet following of the pair, plus the unseen Servant hovering nearby.

" _It's faint, but I feel a trace of your prana, Heroic Spirit. Don't think you can hide yourself from me,_ " He declared in a whisper, a hand hovering close to his hip as he readies himself for the possibility of an encounter in the near future. " _And before you even realize it, your head will hit the ground._ "

* * *

"Ah, we have arrived!" Kyrios proclaimed, exiting the airport onto the open streets, accompanied by his assistant Angelika and a disguised Archer. Having spent the day of the summoning mapping out the territory they'd be contending in; specifically, the city of Chennai of the southern Indian state, Tamil Nadu. Largely populated by Hindu temples of grandeur and humble architecture, with only a small fraction containing members of the Church within it. While he intended to contact the Overseer at some point, he wanted to familiarize himself with the overall lay of the land as he mapped ahead of time. Boarding the plane, he talked to the Heroic Spirit in detail what he thought, recognizing the famed hero for being a legendary tactician and was the one who resulted in helping bring down Troy through tactics still used in the modern day.

Kyrios was still wearing his white cloak, befitting his pride as a Magus, and his refusal to completely adapt to the new environment. Archer was disguised as a tourist, wearing a simple tee-shirt of white, a pair of cargo beige pants and tennis shoes of black-white hue. Angelika on the other hand wore a hooded traveling cloak -contrasting her business dress look- that concealed a more suitable attire for such a dangerous venture. They arrived, only getting a few looks but thankfully it wasn't anything too long, as they were on the look-out for enemies and were tactfully luring them in by standing out.

That being said, Angelika still couldn't help but be a bit put-off by her employer's overly enthusiastic attitude to this whole ordeal they signed up for.

"Yes, we're here. In the country where shitting and pissing in the streets is perfectly commonplace and acceptable," She cracked with a snort, eyes half-closed and looking to her boss with a blank stare. "I'm shaking with anticipation of being in this country."

"Angelika! I'd daresay you're being a tad disrespectful to this nation's culture! How intolerant of you!"

"She has a point," Archer remarked, stifling a gesture to plug his nose from the odoriferous atmosphere. "This place smells worse than a fishing village. At least there it's because it's the fish. I don't dare wonder what other smells I'm detecting here."

"Here I thought you were a man of culture, my Lord!" Kyrios exclaimed aghast to the man on his left.

"I am. This culture just happens to suck ass," Archer proclaimed bluntly, turning to look at Angelika and flashing her a wink. She smiled, feeling a bit alleviated by his humor while Kyrios looked a bit befuddled. Nodding to him, he diffused the situation in kind. "Pardon my vernacular, Master, but I'm sure we're here to win a contest and not take in the sights. Our quest is a bit too important than soaking in...whatever you call this-"

"Atmosphere?"

"That's the one!" The Heroic Spirit finger snapped, grinning appreciatively at the wryly smiling Angelika.

"I suppose there's truth in what you say," Kyrios replied, stroking his goatee as he contemplated their next move. "First order of business, we'll hit some landmarks that have high vantage points. I know this city isn't completely known for its tall architecture but I'm sure there's a few structures that can make good use of your eyes."

"Based on the map we looked over, there's a hospital not far away from here. And further northeast is the Fort Saint George, it's a fairly prominent building," Archer recalled, his head swiveling back and forth with furrowed brows. "The Rippon Building is fairly large and out northwest. A casino. An arch. A hotel called the Residency Towers more west of us-"

"I've decided," Kyrios interrupted his Servant, gallantly pointing towards the street out westward. "We shall book a room at the Residency Towers!"

"...you just want the First Class treatment while we're here, don't you?" Angelika dryly inquired.

"And you don't?!"

"Not the point here, boss!"

"I think," Archer interceded, smiling at the both of them with folded hands gesturing to the both of them. "It's a good idea to find residency so we can set up the baggage there. After all," He looked over his shoulder, revealing over a dozen bags and suitcases behind them. "You did bring quite a load."

Sighing, Angelika walked into the street and hailed a cab, while Kyrios leaned in next to Archer who bowed his body in kind.

"Thanks for the save, Archer. You continue to impress me with your silver tongue and guile!"

"Aiming to please, my Master," He replied with a thumb's up and a chuckle. "Just make sure to keep your woman happy. I wouldn't want to incur her ire thoughtlessly."

"Noted, my Lord," He respectfully remarked, the both of them swiveling back, straight-faced to the turning Angelika who opened the taxi door for them.

"After you, gents," She beckoned half-jokingly. "I'll just stuff all of our bags in the back and on the taxi."

"Uh you want me to take all of that?" The cab driver asked, worryingly looking at the sheer size of the baggage.

"It won't be a problem. We'll compensate you for your time and ensure you're given high praise in your field of employment," Archer coerced, surprising the man by how assuring he sounded. With a slight worried glance, he shrugged and waited for the pair to enter while Angelika continued to stuff the bags to max capacity in the car's trunk. Then she tied it around the back and over the top, weighing the car down an inch by its sheer bulk. Finished, she hopped in beside Kyrios' right, smiled at them all.

"Shall we?"

"Yes," The bald-headed Magus replied, the driver taking them to their destination as he finished with a broad smile on his face. "We most certainly shall!"

* * *

Cleetus hated flying.

Unlike most people, he liked remaining firmly on the ground and -if possible- on foot. Cars were okay as long as he knew its condition, motorcycles were trouble and horses were his best friend. But ever since one mission went down in a spiraling, burning wreck that he had to bail from he swore he'd never take a trip on someone else's craft. He saw too many risks and possibilities of plane landings for his own comfort.

Thus, he only trusted one person to fly him and that was his old friend in the Order, Bertha Bethany. She was an Ace Pilot and a practitioner in Magecraft that revolved around Barrier Projection. In this way, she had assured transportation safely 100% of the time no matter where and when it was. So when he contacted her for a trip to India across the Pacific she made him haggle for a decent price before getting on board.

The craft was a private one, painted with the red cross on a white background outlined in white. It was something of a beauty and it was the only plane he was fine in riding as long as she was flying it. Once boarded, Cleetus said goodbye to his partner, saying he'll bring souvenirs to Sofia when he gets back. He'd never forgive himself if he brought her along and she got hurt in the process. Given this was going to be a make or break job, he could retire if this turned out the way he hoped.

If not, at least he can pick clean the corpses of his opponents.

"So, Master," Saber broke the silence of the plane ride, now adorned in a long-sleeved shirt of red and white with dark blue jeans and cowboy boots -the only clothes that Cleetus could provide in a short period of time-, sitting across on his own seat while Cleetus was leaning back and looking at a plastic globe of the world. Unfortunately, his attempt to break the ice only brought out a gruff grunt, making the Servant bite his lower lip in mild frustration. Clearing his throat, Cleetus sighed and looked up at the summoned familiar with an annoyed expression; which the Heroic Spirit capitalized immediately while smiling nervously. "W-We've barely spoken since you've summoned me. I know you may be the sort that prefers actions over words but perhaps you could regale me your stratagem?

"Son," Cleetus began to speak, withdrawing a toothpick from his leather jacket's front pocket, chewing on it as he looked at the globe a bit more. "You ever plan ta' fall out of a plane?"

"Pardon?" Saber gawked with a few owlish blinks.

"Nothin'," He dismissed, looking up at him, putting aside the globe for a moment on the other seat, revealing his own blue jeans, red-white cross buckle and the black kevlar vest belying his jacket, similar to the padding along his arms, gloves and elbows. Apart from the pair of revolvers holstered, jingling from the occasional turbulence the plane received, a trusty Henry Repeater and a duffel bag full of items he deemed necessary for this trip. The cowboy hat toting Magus chewed on the toothpick, visibly eyeing up the Servant who stared back at him with confusion. Eventually, he snorted, and crossed his arms over his chest while leaning back in his seat. "How many fights have ya' been in, son?"

"Well," The Heroic Spirit looked up, putting genuine thought into the question while waiting out the long ride to their destination. "I'd say, quite a few. I can't pin a number down but perhaps more than you've been in. No disrespect of course, Master."

"Don't call me tat'! Negative connotations wit' that word, boy," Cleetus sneered, getting an arched brow of surprise from the summoned young man. Sighing, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and spouted out. "Where I come from, slavery and the word 'master' go han'-in-hand. I'm not of the mind ta' starting a relationship wit' tat' kind of taboo."

"While I mean no disrespect to your upbringing," Saber began to say, stopping himself short of saying Master so soon, but continued with a strained look of pleading. "But I think you're a bit new to this ordeal that we are designated as Servants by virtue of us being bound to your whim. The mark on your hand is proof that you're my superior, by contract of magic far older than you can fathom. To call you anything else would be an insult to the tradition and yourself! It's this part of the Holy Grail War that I insist you abide by-"

"Okay-Okay! No need ta' break your neck over tis'!" Cleetus exclaimed, huffing with annoyance at his new partner's qualm with his rejection. Scowling at the Servant as he smiled awkwardly back, the contract bounty hunter felt a bit out of place in this whole 'war'. He wasn't a proper mage by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, he may have the training, the prana and the Magecraft to back it up but he doesn't follow the conducts and procedures most others do. It's why he is considered, by the Association, a Magus Killer due to his craft being suited in slaying other mages as much as its efficient at culling monsters and occultists.

Other than that, he couldn't help but wonder why this mystic artifact chose him of all people to be in this confounded scheme; especially since it took place on the other side of the globe!

Reaching back for the plastic globe, he looked back at the country of India and looked at the approximate place they'd be stopping at.

"Given what ya' said, son," He spoke again, bringing Saber's attention back to the forefront, his eyes remaining on the globe but still addressed him in as serious a countenance as he could muster. "This is ta' kind of conflict tat' I'm not partic'ly familiar wit'. So I'll be wingin' this shindig, like a cowboy in a rodeo. You've ev'r tamed a bronco, son?"

"I've tamed stallions for Camelot before, yes," He replied honestly, his eyes glowing with life at the memory of it. "They were beautiful horses. I remember one that was a beautiful sheen of silver and mane of black to match his tail. It was one of the small things I enjoyed doing between my days as a Knight of the Round Table."

"Ya'd get along swell wit' Regus. He's ta' man who got me in ta' Order; the Knights Templar, ta' be precise," He explained back, reaching over and grabbing his Henry Repeater, showing off the polished gleam of steel and lacquered wood of the gun's butt. "While he's more of an ol' fashioned sword-man, I like ma' guns jus' fine. Marcus helped me out wit' tat'. I'd think ya'd like ma'h pals, them Knights Templar."

"Why aren't they coming with you? Are they too busy with their own work?" The Heroic Spirit inquired curiously.

"I'm kinda in a rough spot wit'em. Last time I argued somethin' fierce wit' Regus. He doesn't approve ma'h joinin' ta' union-like association of mages. Says it could undermine our oat' of secrecy. I said I don't like'em but tey' pay good so I keep my mouth shut for ta' moment. Bloody idjits think I'm some Free Mason shit," Cleetus guffawed, briefly overtaking the somber mood he had, but drifted just as quickly back into his morose explanation. Downcast, he looked at his gun while an equally somber stare from Saber looked at the man and then at his own lap. "Well, money's valuable in today's world. If ya' don't have money, ya' can't eat and ya' can't live. Tis why I'm not many people's friends. I do wat' I gotta do ta' survive and make it ta' tat' next paycheck. Once I come back wit' tat' fancy golden cup I won't have ta' worry about how I live anymore; neither will Sofi."

"Is that the wish you want from the Holy Grail? A carefree life?" Saber inquired thoughtfully.

"Sure? Who wouldn't want ta' live wit'out worry?" Cleetus replied honestly.

"I see," Saber looked down, smiling at hearing that. "It's good to hear someone so honest wish for something so simple yet what many have yearned for without saying it. I think I'll enjoy serving you, Master."

"Just Cleetus ta' ya'," The Magus Killer replied with an offhanded flick of his toothpick to another angle from his lips. "Or if yer feelin' formal-like, Mister Silver will suit me fine."

"I'll see what I can do, Mister Silver," He replied with a small smile.

A red light suddenly began blinking, following a brief but loud shout from the cockpit.

"YO! SILVER! IT'S TIME TO GO!"

"Ah! Excellent!" Cleetus exclaimed with a grin, taking the loose straps of his hat and tying them tight to his chin. Opening the duffel bag, he shoved the rifle into it, and then hauled the bag over his shoulder. Reaching his hand out for the Servant to take hold, the spirit was hauled onto his feet, still baffled what the plan was. A brief look out the distant cockpit's shielding and they were still not at the airport. A dawning look crossed his eyes, one that Cleetus saw and grinned madly at. "I told ya', ya' can't plan for ev'rythin'!"

Opening the side door, he felt the full force of the wind from the altitude they were flying at. Below they could see the fast approaching coastline of the port city of Chennai. Regardless of how many laws this would break, Cleetus turned to look at the widely blinking Saber Servant and explained his daring strategy.

"Alright, here's what ya' have ta' do! I'm gonna jump off tis' plane without a chute! You'll catch me, bein' a spirit and all, before I go splat! Sounds dandy?!"

"MASTER, THIS IS INSANE!" The silver-haired man shouted at the top of his lungs, finding it alarming just how daring he was. "THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WRONG WITH THIS THAT I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN WITH!"

The red flashing light turned to a constant green, and Bertha shouted them to go.

Cleetus obliged, stepping out of the plane -bag and all- shouting back at him, "Tis a leap of faith, son! YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!"

"That IDIOT!" Saber proclaimed, his body de-materializing from physical form and surged down across the skyline, the roaring of the plane echoing past their heads as they rapidly descended. Cleetus kept a hand on his hat and another kept his bag strapped over his shoulder. Surprisingly he wasn't flailing and kept relatively passive descent, aiming towards the row of buildings near the docks. Mere seconds before he'd make an impact, Cleetus would feel lean but strong arms pull him off his critical descent and brace for a rapid series of bouncing jumps. With his stomach lurching to his throat seven times, the pair eventually halted with a skidding stop, an exhaust of mana flourished around the re-materialized Servant and the slightly nauseous Master.

"WHOO-HOO! Boy, tat' was sure a good time, wasn't it?!" He exclaimed, stumbling a little as he spoke this.

Sighing with a hung head, Saber clung his messy white hair and bemoaned to himself, "My Master is a lunatic! How am I going to survive this war if he jumps for the thrill of it?!"

"You alright, son?"

"Just...promise me you won't jump off any rooftops without telling me first?" Saber asked, a nervous smile on his face as he raised himself back to full height.

"Son," Cleetus grinned ear to ear, an expression that made the Servant sigh with worry. "I make no promises!"

* * *

 **A/N:** I know this is a bit of an uneventful chapter, but I like pacing myself. Besides, I was so inspired after seeing such a positive feedback the day I uploaded the previous chapter, I couldn't help but push on ahead. From this format, I decided to shake things up and make Lancer portion more or less dedicated to Shirou since Rin hogged the spotlight in the previous chapter. Wanted to show how much the two have grown and matured in the years since they've seen each other; also addressing the Multiverse conundrum that is being someone who remembers one's past events while technically being a different version of the past self.

Not to mention they're being stalked on the first day. Who is the person spying on Shirou and Rin? How does the woman he's speaking with know so much about them? That'll be addressed sooner than you think.

Kyrios is just fun to write. He's like that guy who's just eager to experience new things and everything is just a new adventure for him. Doesn't matter if he entered a Murder-Death-Kill tournament, he's here to enjoy himself to the fullest! I'm also balancing him out with Archer kind of playing both sides of Angelika's pragmatic, dry wit and his Master's jovial and upbeat attitude. A lovely charismatic trio we have here.

Cleetus is just a joy to describe. If you ever wanted to see what a hick with a beef with unions and orders was like, this would be him. Poor Saber just doesn't know how to deal with him half the time. He's such a naive, innocent soul and he's left with a potential madman with plans of lunacy that leave him just aghast. Illegally entering a country for a Ghost Deathalon? It's okay when he does it cause he's got a job to do. Let's hope he doesn't get deported before the Grail War's end, haha!

That's it from me, can't wait to see the feedback for this chapter. But first, I'd like to respond to some Reviews below in order of their posting:

* * *

 **Null** : I did make mention of "The Princess" in the start of this chapter. I'm not sure about all of those but I do have plans for other prominent members of Type/Moon to show up so I ask for patience and trust. I will deliver fun things in the near future, that I can guarantee ;)

 **Venompool** : Thanks for the support and I'll do my damnest to make sure I keep them in-character. I'm a big enough fan that I'll put in the work to ensure that stays cemented. I won't spoil but I do have some plans revolving around connections to Arturia Pendragon being brought up in the Grail War. Beyond that, you'll just have to wait and see ^^

 **Amouren** : I know we talked a lot on PM but I wanted to officially address your Review here. No, this Saber isn't Richard the Lionheart. If he was, he'd be MUCH older, haha! And as far as the story is concerned, for the moment, Shirou is just tagging along to help Rin in this quest. I already explained why I chose Odysseus for Archer, but I appreciate the interest and praise so far. Looking forward to future Reviews from ya :)

 **Colinpop5** : Glad you're interested. If you can leave a more lengthy Review, that'd make my day :P

 **mg1147** : While I appreciate your enthusiasm in my story I'd appreciate if you typed your Reviews to be a bit more legible. I won't confirm or deny anything you've said in this Review but I am thankful for you posting it anyways.

 **The_Rupture** : Again, if you are interested, I'd like to hear why you are interested and possibly what you want out of this story or a critique of the chapter you're posting about :P

: My second Spanish Review? Weird but not unwelcome.

Glad you find Arturia Pendragon as Lancer attractive XD I honestly wanted this version of her so she's closer in age to 15 year older Shirou and Rin. It'd be odd if they were adults and she was still a teenager ;P And yes, I support ShirouxRin, they are the best pairing. o3o

I'm happy you brought those points up. I did more research and sure enough, his bow was forged by Apollo. I'll craft his stats to reflect his genealogy as well and the various blessings or feats he received in his epics.

I don't mind your opinion. As long as you aren't out to spam in the Review section or write gibberish, I'm cool with any ideas you may have pertaining to the story at hand :) Until then, I await to see what you think of this chapter.

* * *

Alright, that's it from me. See you later in the next chapter!


	3. III - Enter the Stormbringer

Something was off.

Lancer could tell that the atmosphere in this city was ripe with energy and life, a bustling boom of commerce and tradition all rolled into a hodgepodge of progress that's taken it far beyond its original state centuries ago. In a way, that part of this city was soothing despite it being so different in nature to the world she was transported to in Fuyuki twice in the last decades of her Heroic Spirit existence. Even as she looked out the window of the hotel they were staying at -not but ten kilometers northeast- she felt an ominous prana that hung over the city.

Like someone was carrying a distinct field of influence so much larger than she could fathom but hadn't the faintest idea who was responsible. Clenching her gloved hand that rested on the window surface, her eyes hardened, scanning the horizon for anything amiss. After a few minutes of doing this, she heard a voice call for her.

"Lancer! Dinner!"

For a few more moments, she didn't respond. Her eyes thought she had detected movement beyond the vista's street beneath her gaze. The moment she looked, nothing was there, just a bustling crowd and oncoming traffic that honked noisily to its pedestrians. Letting out a breath she didn't think she was holding, she turned and walked into the mini-kitchen this more spacious hotel room allowed.

Just shy of missing the silhouette of the man whom followed them to the hotel since their departure at the Overseer's chapel.

"Are you alright?" Rin inquired as Lancer took a seat with them, her eyes a bit distant before locking brightly onto hers. "You look a little pale."

"It's nothing," She spoke, a half-truth as she had no idea what was wrong. "I thought I was feeling someone's prana, running as a current through the city. But when I tried to observe anything suspicious, nothing seemed out of the ordinary."

"Are you sure it wasn't another Heroic Spirit?" Shirou asked, fishing out the fried gourmet he cooked and placed it onto her plate and Rin's next.

"If it was, I would've warned you. This felt...otherworldly," She described, her gaze drawn down to the food. Inhaling it, she felt her worries lessen and her smile renewed as she grabbed a fork beside her plate. "It's perhaps just the grail. If this was from a spirit, I should be aware and if its a Magus, then that brings more negative connotations than I'd care to hypothesize."

"Well, I'll make sure to set up some barriers around us, just in case," Rin proffered, digging into her own meal as the thought dominated her mind now.

"I'll make sure to help," Shirou volunteered, pouring the rest of the pan's contents onto his plate, grinning a bit cheekily. "A little Reinforcement should help in case anything both physical and spiritual tries to give us some unwanted house visit."

"I'll keep a lookout in spirit form on the roof," Lancer Artoria finally offered, eager to be of use in this competition of theirs.

As they finished up their meals, Rin was busy setting up some magic circles on the walls, floor and ceiling. From some bounding fields that would give them a mental alarm in case someone tried to sneak in or a magical presence tried to get in via incorporeal shape they'd be met with some nasty surprises. Shirou put some Reinforcement spells on the door and windows, making sure all critical weak points that could be undone form the outside were far more durable. When the Sun began to set, Shirou offered first watch while Rin got some rest and Lancer kept an eye on the rooftop.

For now, all they can do was wait.

His own keen eyes have been enhanced through years of experience and training. He knew he wasn't an Archer Servant, but he was definitely above human ability to detect or see things most couldn't or with as much adept perception as he could. Assuming that Lancer also had high perceptive capability, the two of them should keep a hawk's gaze on the majority of the city from here.

This reminded Shirou of a time when he was abroad; in the middle of Turkey. It was another civil war, the president claimed that the military was throwing a coup against him and had declared the state under martial law. Whether it was true or not mattered not for the traveling vagabond Magus. He was forced together with a bunch of people of interest: tourists, a journalist and a deserter of the military the President's men were aiming to capture. Instead of sacrificing the man, Shirou told them he'd keep watch.

Dozens of troops found the home but they never made it far enough to get to the home. A well-placed Projection bolt disoriented them, giving him enough time to evacuate the people inside and himself to cut a path for his own escape. With Kanshou and Bakuya in hand he moved faster than the dogs of the President had been prepared for. Flak jackets, guns and flesh were sundered by neatly placed arcs of his weapons, guns never able to hit their mark or were too slow to aim properly. By the time it was over, he was covered in blood and panting with exhaustion; hands covered in thick red among a pile of bodies that he had no qualms with.

Then the rain poured.

Shirou's eyes dilated as a thunderclap shook him out of his reverie. It shook the hotel like a bomb went off, lightning flashing palpably close, flashing opaque white straight through the window. Stumbling back with his eyes shut closed, hand pressing over his face, blinking away the spots that appeared in his vision. Seconds later, Lancer's form materialized in the apartment, fully armored with a serious glint of emerald beyond the lion-shaped mask of the helmet.

"Lancer! Where did this storm come from?!" He asked the obvious, though his gut throbbed with an awful knowing feeling.

"It's another Servant, Shirou," She spoke seriously, turning to see a frazzled but alert Rin getting out of bed -still clothed in her robes in such a case like thsi transpiring- with alarm on her own face. "This storm is the work of a Heroic Spirit's prana!"

* * *

 **F-A-T-E M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K**

 **III**

 **Enter the Stormbringer**

* * *

"What an amazing storm" Kyrios remarked, looking through the thick sheets of rain as they pelted the once dry, hot cityscape of Chennai. Those who were walking in the streets now scurried for cover, others looking for anything passing a resemblance of an umbrella. Being a particular attachment to the elements, the Magus was surprised that he didn't feel the change in the atmosphere when he entered here mere hours ago; which means magic was at work here of a high caliber.

Having set up in one of the highest suites of the hotel they chose, they had a clear view of the city and the massive storm cloud that funneled in a spiraling pattern. Lightning enamored violently and sporadically all over the heavens, occasionally snaking out to touch the earth below. It was a dazzling show of nature's might, the likes of which the unsuspecting populace were unprepared for. Thankfully, Kyrios had made sure to bring things that would allow him to find the direct cause of such phenomena.

"Angelika?" The Master turned to his assistant, the woman already set up with an advanced computer system patched together with various equipment and servers for the data necessary. As she typed rapidly on, flickers of static occasionally crossing the high-definition screen, she groaned as she tried pinning down a figure. When the data did come in, she swore under her breath and looked over her shoulder at her boss. "What? Is it going to flood?!"

"No, this is indeed the work of a disturbance of Ether with Mana as a catalyst," She calculated, her eyes shifting back to the graphs and diagrams of readings her equipment was getting. "It seems it was just caused by a massive surge of prana, right over the city's upper atmosphere. Whoever's doing this is doing it deliberately and efficiently."

"Which means we're dealing with either a powerful elemental-based Servant or, more than likely, a Caster," Kyrios surmised, stroking his goatee as he began to think. If the whole city was swept up in the chaos of the storm but it wasn't -at the moment- threatening enough to harm the greater populace this could have a different meaning. His eyes lit up and a smile stretched his face, snapping a finger with realization. "Of course! This is a challenge, projected to all participants of the Grail War!"

"...pardon?" Angelika balked.

"Don't you see? No one would just randomly throw a storm out for kicks! This is basically shooting up a flare and saying, 'Come at me bro!' as the kids on the internet would say!"

"To be fair, Master," Archer intervened, manifesting into physical form -still in his white tee and blue jeans- with arms crossing his chest while giving him a sardonic stare. "Only n00bs would say that. Or Alpha Gamers who take themselves way too seriously."

"Where does the Grail get this information?!" Angelika cried out, to which Archer merely shrugs with a lopsided smirk.

"In that case I accept this challenge without hesitation!" Kyrios bellowed out with a raucous laugh, undoing his outer white cloak to reveal a sleeveless white tunic and his billowed-sleeved martial arts gi; brandished by a golden rimmed black obi. Opening the door to the balcony, the rain blew in with a howling fervor that he relished the feeling more than Angelika liked. As the rain soaked his clothes and skin, the intricate tattooed marks began to glow a vibrant blue, a translucent pattern forming through his clothes up to his scalp and causing his eyes to glow a pupiless opaque white. Turning to look at Archer, he beckoned to him as he stepped onto the foot of the balcony. "Come, Archer! We must make haste!"

Sniffing, Archer materialized his brass scale-mail armor and trotted to where his Master was. Looking back to Angelika with a wink, he shouted to her, "I'll bring him back in one piece, I swear to you as King of Ithaca!"

"Yeah, the dead king who has no claim to his country anymore. That's worth something," She snorted, making the Archer guffaw with humor and leaped off with his Master. While Angelika didn't bat an eye at the impromptu move she knew his boss' methods. Being an Elementalist the man could tap into the Ether of the land and harness it with the use of his innovative brands placed across his body, acting as his Crest that was modified and transformed through his family. Bending it to his will, he'd use the rain itself to form water-grappling hooks to swing across the city, dexterously landing from rooftop to rooftop as he moved closer to the epicenter of the prana; all the while Archer just leaped with inhuman ease and grace befitting his class and legend.

"Just don't do anything stupid, more-so than usual," She huffed to herself as she began scanning for other signatures, anticipating on informing her employer more of the developing situation.

* * *

"What in tarnation is dis' rain?! It was a clear sky a moment ago!" Cleetus exclaimed, huddling beneath a shop in the local bazaar's now closed shop. They were exploring the city, putting the totally not illegal entry into the country's city behind them, until hours later the calm night breeze picked up into a blistering thunderstorm. Lightning sprayed all over, the air made the Magus' skin tingle and the distant sensation of several figures bearing the mark of power were heading towards the center of the storm. "Turning to look over at the civilian clothed Saber, he nodded over at the swirling maelstrom in the sky. "Wanna take a clos'r look? Feels like some buggers are headin' tat' way!"

"We should keep our distance and observe, Mister Silver," The Heroic Spirit warned, his golden eyes flashing towards the sheets of rain being blown around by howling wind and the sporadic chain lightning dancing too close for comfort. "The prana responsible for that magnitude of a storm is a powerful Servant. If you're seen by it, you won't survive the encounter!"

"Need ta' take a chance, son. Otherwise we'll get nowhere," The Magus intoned, fixing his hat and slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder, pushing on ahead into the thick storm. Not hearing his Servant's belated sigh, the man rushed over and kept close to the stubborn Texan, determined to see this through regardless of his foolish endeavor.

Inwardly, the Heroic Spirit measured the distance between them and their objective. If it was just him, he'd quickly arrive at the scene. But due to his Master's stubborn nature of walking naturally on foot in this weather, he had no choice but to make sure he wouldn't get swept away by the ferocious gale force wind. Crossing the distance, he made sure to brace his Master anytime there was another howling wind that blew by.

"Excuse me," A sudden silhouette spoke in the corner of their vision, causing Saber to halt with widened eyes and Cleetus look annoyed. Turning towards their left they'd see a person with scarlet hair, holding an umbrella up to keep her black suited body dry. Dark red eyes stared back at them dangerously, causing Saber to tense up while Cleetus stopped in the direction he was heading at the sight of this new visitor. She was holding a silver tube around her left shoulder, giving the implication that she was prepared for something; based on the suppressed prana they both perceived, she was a Magus skilled at subterfuge and assassination. "I didn't see you at the airport. How did you sneak into this city without triggering any of my familiars?"

"None of yer' bee's wax, woman!"

"Master, don't antagonize her needlessly!" Saber insisted.

"Master? Then you are his Servant," She deduced, her eyes narrowing at him. The sound of the rain was dimming in exchange for hearing her voice, the ominous foreboding feeling he was getting was growing as he felt her prana slowly being made known to them. "Tell me, what Class of Heroic Spirit are you?"

"I respectfully decline, my lady," Saber retorted, stepping away from Cleetus, hands open palm next to his hips. "Please leave us be. I'd rather not harm you."

"Oh? Is that a threat?" The woman inquired, eyes narrowing and her spare hand reaching for the silver tube's strap. Before her thumb could hook under the leather band the sound of a gun's safety was pulled and the sight of Cleetus' Magnum Revolver pulled out, already aimed at his hip towards her. She looked unimpressed, the digit already curled around the tube's holster, readying an action and daringly staring back at them.

Then, Cleetus fired, the gun letting loose a bang comparable to a localized thunderclap. His keen senses enabled him to see the fading afterimage of the Association Enforcer spinning on the ball of her right foot, completely dodging the slug sent her way. The sound of a distant building face exploding caused her eyes to widen with realization and took a brief look over her shoulder at a collapsing structure nearly a quarter mile away.

"A pistol, did that?!" She whispered, turning to see Cleetus pulling the trigger again, another glowing piece of metal hurling towards her. Nimbly leaning to the right, the heat of the wave the projectile passed left a slight burn on her left cheek, followed by another catastrophic boom that complemented the loud bang of the man's weapon firing. Bending her legs, the Magus Assassin tossed her load in two directions; the silver tube was thrown behind her, left to clang noisily and roll to the edge of the sidewalk, the umbrella was thrown in front of the pair. Despite him putting several shots through the umbrella's frame, it was merely shredded and revealed a deftly approaching Magus, bent low to the ground and had a fist balled up to throw upwards at the man's upper torso or chin.

A flash of gold followed by a blur of silver-lined steel intercepted the path of her fist, causing a loud gong following a pressure wave that gust outwards and sent a pocket of falling rain shooting outwards past her target in a cone.

"Sorry, my lady," Saber rang out, her fist tense and shaking against a cross-enamored round shield, the intricate design of a serpentine dragon circling around the outer rim as a replication of the insignia branded on his breastplate. For all her strength, only hissing steam ebbed from the scorch mark placed on the durable plating that the Heroic Spirit held. His golden eyes flashed apologetically and a sympathetic smile shown to her surprised visage. "I can't let you kill my Master. Sworn duty and all."

"I see," She replied, pulling back her fist, backing away in a swift leap. Landing in a skidding splash of the copious rainwater, she took up a fighting stance, her prana escalating into the air; catalyzed by the glowing runes burning blue tongues across the backs of her black gloves. "I didn't think I'd need all of my strength to handle you two, but that shield is impressive. A Noble Phantasm?"

"Again, I decline any information of myself to you," He answered, smiling a bit more wryly upon countering. "I don't even know your name and you're asking such personal questions. Where's your etiquette?"

Without reply, the berserker woman charged forth, moving in a blur Cleetus could barely perceive. Swinging her hand in a pistoning thrust, Saber countered with a step back and a timely backhanded motion with the shield. With her initial attack buffered -deflected in a metallic spray of sparks- and buffeting her momentum, she used her free hand to surge into his armored chest. Instead of dodging or swinging the shield back in the way, the young Heroic Spirit grasped her forearm before she'd make contact and twisted on his boots' heels. Hurtling her in a sprawling tumble in the air around himself, he'd end with a precise thrusting motion by his shield, throttling her back across the street in the direction they were heading in a somersaulting heave.

Catching herself on the third body skip, she'd shoot back like a bullet, her glowing fists pulled back to thrust in a united motion of doubled power. In the blink of an eye, Saber knelt down and smashed the shield into the earth, upheaving asphalt and dirt to throw off her aim and line of sight. Even with the tower of rising debris eradicated by the follow-up double-punch, Saber's right hand landed a palm-heel thrust into her abdomen, letting loose a pulse of force that made her grimace and skid backwards with a palpable pop of collapsing air pressure.

" _This Servant_ ," The woman processed, her grimacing expression hiding the awe she had of the Heroic Spirit's graceful defense that danced circles around her strikes. " _I know he must be a Knight of the Round Table, based on the markings of his armor and shield, but he's been reliant on defense and his shield. He hasn't even drawn his sword; is he not taking this seriously or is this some knightly code of chivalry?_ "

"Master, we should retreat," Saber quietly informed Cleetus, hearing the man reload his revolver much to his chagrin. "This woman -no, this Magus- is on par with a Heroic Spirit in strength. It's unfathomable anyone in the Modern Age of Mages to have this kind of power. I can't protect you and fight without restriction with you nearby, risking your well-being."

"I'm goin' ta' provide coverin' fire, son. You jus' keep what ya' been doin'," The Master replied as he took aim over his shoulder. "Jus' trust me, I know what I'm doin'."

"I HIGHLY doubt that, Master!" Saber shouted out loud, his voice piercing the storm as he kept his defensive posture up.

A distant crackling thuum brought their attention, with even their enemy looking a bit over her shoulder.

" **Master, I've tracked the pair to epicenter of this maelstrom of prana. One of them is the Master of Lancer, and they're now confronting the Servant responsible for this weather phenomena.** "

" **Alright. Keep an eye out for someone with black hair and pale skin. I was following my quarry but I lost it in favor of a new target. I feel, however, that I should withdraw for now as a fight with them is disadvantageous for me,** " She answered her Servant, making sure not to emphasize a word of her psychic conversation to her opponents in front of her. " **I'll be joining your vicinity in a bit.** "

" **What's this? The great Bazett Fraga McRemitz is turning tail and running? What happened to the fearless Master that put the fear of your god into me?** "

" **Save it, Assassin!** " She retorted, bending her knees down and throttling up into the air to arch over them. In a flash of lightning, she landed behind them, back where she first started in this encounter. Picking up her threaded canister and hauling it back over one shoulder, she cast a glare at the pair before she disappeared around the corner, her prana erased as quickly as it manifested.

"She withdrew?" Saber inquired curiously, standing upright and breathing a little easier.

"She either 'fraid of us, or tat' flash of lightnin' got 'er attention," Cleetus surmised, holstering his revolver and turning back to the direction of the now visible distant flashes of thunder and lightning that transpired closer to the ground than in the sky. "C'mon! We're missin' the show!"

"As you wish, Master," The Heroic Spirit replied, joining him with his shield placed on his back once more, jingling in his plating as he picked up the pace with his Master.

* * *

It was spectacular to the eye.

That was the first line of thoughts Shirou had when he saw a chaotic stream of lightning forking and crackling all around the heavens. His robes comforted him as the relentless wind and rain pelted the surface of any exposed skin, bringing with it a slight chill to the usually warm and humid atmosphere of this country's city. Rin herself wore an emergency poncho, doing only a little to keep her from being soaked by the elements. All the while Lancer was wearing her full plated armor, bearing the lion fur that ruffled in the wind and the sheen of glittering protection shut all of the elements out as she rushed at high speed with the pair towards the place they felt the prana was at its strongest.

"This weather's really intense!" Shirou finally spoke aloud, breaking the tense silence between the three as he spoke through the scarf covering his lower face. "If it wasn't for my cloak, I'd be really regretting running in the rain!"

"No time to moan about that now, Shirou!" Rin retorted back, the woman nodding her head towards a spot not far away from one of the many gilded temples within this city. "That should be the center of the prana, just up ahead!"

"Yeah, but I don't see anythin-"

"GET DOWN!"

The metallic cry of Lancer barely registered to the pair as the sky lit up in a luminous halo of white and blue. Surging down not but a dozen meters ahead, an explosive crack of force and mana dispersed the wind and rain around them in a ballooning wave. Knocked back but not over, Shirou made sure to grab a hold of Rin's hand while Lancer took up the front and braced the residual aftereffects of the shockwave. As soon as the dust settled, the rain returned to pouring but not much of wind to spray it in their faces.

Instead, they were graced with the appearance of a distant statuesque form of enormous proportions. Four circular discs depicting various effigies of the elements were placed on a chain mail breastplate, with sleeves of chain intersecting with a pair of armored gauntlets of rune inscribed surface. A red fabric covered his waist, just before armored leggings went to a pair of furred boots. Similarly, a hide-clad cloak latched by a pendant of a wolf, blowing in the residual breeze created upon his arrival. His head bore a thick curly mane that flashed golden flecks of air now drenched by the rain pouring upon him. Shining blue eyes pierced the veil, an enormous grin stretched from ear to ear across a clean shaven face.

Most noteworthy was an enormous hammer that he held in his right hand by his side. Normal men wouldn't be able to hold it even with two hands but he carried it with one, a small handle wrapped in leather leading up to a grey block of iron, inscribed with even more complex language of runes on either side of it. The head of this weapon easily dwarfed Shirou's upper body, yet the Heroic Spirit raised it up to point at them like it was a toy.

"Ah! My first challengers!" The Servant bellowed out in a boisterous voice, grinning ear to ear while his eyes glowed with a hunger that made Shirou and Rin shudder at the sight. "I was beginning to grow bored waiting for someone to get the message. Do you accept my invitation for glorious battle?!"

"What Heroic Spirit is that?"

"I don't know, but he looks Norwegian. It's possible that he's-"

"Indeed, I do," Lancer interrupted the pair, walking past them with metallic clanks upon the water. A stretch of her hand, a gust of wind and flash of silver-gold revealed an elegant spear of unique craftsmanship: a spiraling band of metallurgy that looked almost like organic glass and silver, the shape of it almost akin to a cross of a throwing spear and a jousting lance. Looking at the weapon made Shirou's mind pulse with pain; a similar sensation, he recalled, to when he saw Ea, the Divine Weapon that Gilgamesh had. The lion-maned and armored Artoria stepped forward, raising her lance and pointed it back at the infamous Heroic Spirit. "I, Lancer, accept your challenge!"

"WONDERFUL!" The Opposing Servant shouted aloud, his voice splitting the air and sending a gust of wind that whipped across Rin and Shirou's faces; doing nothing to the armored and stoic Lancer. "I, Thor Odinson, accept your challenge and will revel in crushing you to dust!"

Shirou's eyes dilated and his mouth slackened. He heard of the stories but he hadn't done as much research as he'd have liked. Standing apart from them was a living god made flesh, wielding enough power to casually cause a storm that engulfed the entire southern tip of the country they were in. Even now, as the lightning snapped across the heavens chaotically and the rain ceaselessly poured sheets on the populace and structures below, he stood there as if he was simply breathing.

"GO GET'EM, LANCER!" Rin commanded, breaking the red-headed Magus out of his dazed state.

Just in time to see Lancer evaporate from her place in the rain and spiral forward with the lance thrusting straight at the Heroic Spirit. In a move that defied imagining, the hulking Nordic god swung his hammer in a streak of iron, intercepting the silver lance from making contact. The impact was a loud clang followed with an explosive wave that blasted away rainwater and cracked the earth beneath them. Grinning, the bigger Servant stepped forward and swung his hammer in a vicious arc, forcing the smaller Servant to backpedal-

"What-?!" She cried out, caught in a torrential wind that blasted her back in the path of the hammer's motion.

"Don't lose your footing so easily," Thor bellowed out, lunging after her with his hammer coiled back, swinging it down once he was over her wind-caught body. "LANCER!"

An arching swing and the flooring became annihilated in an enormous plume of flooring, earth and blasting rain-filled wind back at the pair of Magus. Braced against it, Shirou feared the worst from taking a direct hit from the beast of a spirit's weapon. Upon closer inspection, he'd see that she was nowhere to be seen and the enormous hammer had struck nothing at all.

The Heroic Spirit didn't even bat an eye when Artoria appeared to his left, his left arm deftly catching lance even as his opponent thrust against his strength. Turning to look at her, he smiled, raising his bludgeon to strike her-

-only for a flash of gold and silver to explode against him, jettisoning the man a dozen meters backwards with a spiraling current of Invisible Air. Remaining on his feet, the Servant just laughed, swinging his hammer around with a shriek of wind blowing the rain around him in a twister effect.

"That's an interesting ability! I can see how you can move so fast without much exertion," Thor replied, raising his mallet up in the air, aiming at the sky as he did so. "But just how fast are you?"

Instantaneously, lightning cracked in the sky and coiled around the hammer's iron body. Spreading outward in a chaotic web of high voltage tendrils, Shirou felt his hairs stand on end just being in the same proximity as the weapon. As the energy primed in the weapon, he caught a look of fear from Rin as her eyes registered the exact level of power it contained.

Lancer reacted in kind, her body bursting with mana as cerulean light engulfed her vicinity and gathered the invisible wind currents she controlled. Squatting down, she pushed her left leg forward and tensed her right leg down a few inches. Her lance crackled with swirling air and burning energy, the prana exuding from it snapped and bolts of magical energy sinewed into the atmosphere around her.

Then, in a pounce, jettisoned in a plume of blue mana and hurtled towards her target. The hammer swung and met a rising spear, the two weapons thrumming with power and made contact.

Shirou reacted on instinct, grabbing Rin and forcing his legs to throttle them away at the very last moment that a thunderclap of force was released. The earth was rend asunder by electrical tendrils, the oxygen splitting with the invisible air giving a wave through. In a vibrant blast of two opposing forces, the whole area was lit up in a luminous overcast of white and blue, surging and thrumming brilliantly.

Gingerly, the red-headed man looked to his wife and confirmed she was alright other than the tumble. Looking over his shoulder, he saw steam from the evaporated rainfall along with the crackling of electricity snapping to and fro. While Thor had skid back a step, Lancer had almost fell back from the force she braced against. Unseen teeth gritted and emerald eyes shone fiercely through her lion-faced helm. The opposing Servant grinned back at her, enticed to meet such strength poised against him but didn't look the least concerned.

"I don't know what Class he is," Rin spoke lowly, confirming aloud what Shirou was secretly thinking. "But that Servant is in a league above ours."

"She won't lose, though," Shirou retorted, attempting to convince himself as he was trying to Rin. Clenching his fist, he raised his voice and threw out his fist towards her from the place they were thrown back at. "YOU'VE GOT THIS, LANCER! KICK HIS ASS!"

"You heard the man," The Heroic Spirit goaded, grinning cheekily all the while in a mock taunt that was half serious in his demand. "Kick my ass!"

"If that is your wish," Lancer responded, a glow of green piercing the veil of her lion faced helm, her aura bursting forth at the seams and cracking the scarred earth beneath her even more. Gripping her lance tightly, she bent her knees and lunged forth, shouting with finality. "Then your ass is considered kicked!"

* * *

 **A/N** : And the battle begins!

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. From the intense start of all parties named rushing to the site of the prana to a little skirmish between Bazett, Saber and Cleetus and then the confrontation of Lancer and Co. against the beast that is Thor Odinson. For now, I wanted to leave a cliffhanger to the fight's continuation for the next chapter so I don't drag this chapter out potentially. Beyond the plight that is transpiring, I left a few other hints of other characters' identities. So for now, I hope this sates your appetite for action and humor rolled into one ball of fun!

And now, to reply to Reviews!

* * *

 **ZenoZen** : Haha, unfortunately he has someone as manic and ill-worded as Cleetus Silver for a Master. But yes, at least he won't be bored in this war. Thanks for the praise and I hope you like this chapter just as much!

 **Amouren** : Yes, I left a few crumbs of info about this Assassin. Once we get a bit more exposure, I'm sure you'll find out who he is through deduction

 **G** : I know this, but there is a purpose in this story line and for all intents and purposes she "was dead". It ties into another character that's yet to be revealed. You'll see that character soon enough, trust me on that.

: Whelp, he managed to hold of Bazett using purely defensive ability and his shield. I hope this Saber has proven his mettle (along with Cleetus) that they aren't to be taken lightly ;P

 **SentinalSlice** : At this point in time? No. He wasn't chosen by the Grail so he won't summon a Heroic Spirit. As cool as that it'd be, it's probably for the best that he wasn't chosen if only due to how much he handicapped a prime Servant like Saber was in the Main Three Routes. He's a better fighter and slightly more developed as a Magus in his choice crafts and skills, but he's nowhere near as efficient or gifted as people like Rin, Kyrios or even Cleetus. Yes, the Texan Hick is a better Mage than Shirou Emiya; the truth hurts, don't it?

 **mg1147** : I won't confirm or deny the possibility of your alleged theory of his identity of Saber. I will however say that this is an incarnation of this Heroic Spirit that lived in a much more brighter life and fought in the way that justified his legend. That's all I'll say.

 **euhiena_lacri** : No

 **Im_a_guest** : I'll look forward to a more in depth analysis in the future then.

* * *

That's it, I'll see you later on the next update!


	4. IV - God of Thunder

"I see that brute of a warrior has collected quite an audience," A woman's voice echoed in the depths of an abandoned temple. Her hands were holding a rolling sphere of water, dancing before her eyes and showing a number of figures of importance to the Holy Grail War: A scarlet haired woman, running across the city with a silver tube hauled over one shoulder; a man bathed in shadows and discreetly covering his identity; a pair leaping from rooftop to rooftop towards a distinct flashing light in the distance; a distinctly familiar man who bore silver hair and golden eyes traveling with a gunslinger mage; and lastly, the fighting Lancer against the aforementioned brute of a Servant, beset by the audience of Lancer's Master and another bystander. "Assassin, Archer, Lancer and Saber are all confirmed to be in the proximity. The man fighting Lancer is possibly a Berserker though he seems a bit too intelligible for that; then again, you can never be too sure."

"Caster, are you sure you don't need me to summon familiars?" A gentle voice asked from the temple's source of light, near its entrance with a pair of torches lighting it. She possessed a complexion akin to a doll's, pale as snow and hair blacker than the night sky. Eyes of dull gold pierced the shadows of the temple's main hall of idols, enamored by the myriad of gods now left abandoned and to rot within the city in favor of better kept areas of worship. Dressed in a black dress with sleeves separate from its twinkling apparel, leaving her shoulders bare in the torchlight.

"No need to worry yourself, Master," The blonde Servant turned, her face hidden by black veil and her long blonde hair pooled onto the tiled floor over her back. Dressed in black silk of ghostly threads that showed off her curvaceous features, leaving the top of her cleavage bare and a dragon headed crimson mark that traveled down unseen to her belly where it also finished the rest of its effigy of a draconic form. Her legs crossed, feet bare with leaven marks wrapped around her toes up the top of her feet and wrap around her ankles. Turning her green eyes to shine past the veil at her, she smiled through her voice just as she turned her attention back to the Scrying Orb crafted out of her Water Magic. "I'll obtain all the information I need. After all, this war is for your sake, isn't it?"

The girl silently nodded, before turning to leave her Servant back to her work.

* * *

 **F-A-T-E M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K**

 **IV**

 **God of Thunder**

* * *

It was unreal.

Even now, a decade and a half later, Rin found herself amazed by the sheer power and grace Heroic Spirits had over a mere mage like herself. Where the man known as Thor Odinson brandished his hammer with ferocity and adept reflexes, Lancer -better known as a variant of Artoria Pendragon- danced around the destructive blows while parrying and lunging with her divine silver spear. Any time both weapons contacted with true power behind them a flash of light and a concussive wave so mighty that getting any closer to the pair was impossible for her or her husband.

"Stay back, Rin!" Shirou warned her, much to her chagrin.

"I know how to keep my distance, Shirou!" She barked back, though its bite wasn't as hearty due to the scale of the clash happening between her Servant and the opposing one.

Another series of swift jabs from Lancer caused gusts of wind to whip out sheets of the endless falling rain through the use of Invisible Air, sparking off the armor and weapon of Thor each time it connected. Following with a broad sweeping clang, the lance braced the blow and forced Lancer back on her heels a great distance before she lunged back, preventing him from gaining the offensive again.

"Yes, you truly do have the tenacity of the King of Beasts, Lancer!" Thor bellowed out with joy, parrying her blows with a rapid twirl of his bludgeon till it was but a twister of momentum. Surging forth, the storm's winds siphoned around the hammer and the rain with it. Lancer's eyes widened and she gathered a slew of mana and burst it through her prana in a brilliant blaze of blue. Just as she took a stomp back, the Servant twirled his mallet around and swung under, releasing a twisting pillar of water that crashed into her spear's mana infused Invisible Air thrust.

The connection itself made a searing blast of boiling water and hissing vapor, splintering air waves slicing the earth and crashing into objects at random.

"Schützen!" Rin chanted out loud, forming a conical barrier that enveloped a five meter space belonging to the pair of them.

Shirou didn't have the presence of mind to simply thank Rin, his worry for Lancer taking precedence. The flash of light emerging from the Heroic Spirits spear seemed to intensify, becoming a corkscrewing drill of mana that surged with the Invisible Air into the maelstrom of water and air rushing her way. It was like a titanic force of nature's strength had stretched down and is attempting to blow her away. Gritting her teeth she rooted herself to the ground, Invisible Air cementing herself in place as she built up energy within her lance.

A stomp forward and a growling roar later, Lancer formed a brilliant ray of twisting wind, throwing it forth and piercing the towering twister of water and air opposing her. Lancing through in a rainbow hued streak that arched up into the heavens, Rin and Shirou looked on in shared awe at the beauty of her steadfastness and the power she used to counter Thor's. In the moment they shared victory, Thor lunged in to swing his weapon while Lancer was extended too far.

Switching tact, she thrust her spear into the earth, lifting herself up and over to avoid the imminent bludgeon's face in its destructive stroke. Spinning around as she used her weapon as a support, she coiled her legs back and landed a pair of boot-heels to the Servant's face. A crunching pow made one eye bulge as he stumbled back a step from the kick that was made, just as Lancer unhinged her spear from the earn and turned her upper body around to stab down upon him.

Grasping the lance before it could make contact, Thor pulled her armored body forward to receive a brutal knee to her armored chest, clanging and bruising her in a single stroke. Twisting her around as she kept a grip on the weapon he slammed her into the earth repeatedly, smashing the ground with her body until he kicked her a few meters away. Grimacing, she pushed herself up just as she saw her spear tossed into the air just above her head.

"Predictable, Lancer," Thor chided, his hammer already arcing towards her, the storm's lightning siphoned and coiling around his weapon in its motion of imminent impact upon her. She barely grasped the spear before she braced for the oncoming impact; one that let loose a voluminous blast of sound and light, forcing the King of Knights off her fleet and into the horizon. Buildings collapsed, streets uprooted and a line of electric destructive carved its path through the city into a distant impact site out of her Master's reach and Shirou's.

"LANCER!" Shirou howled out, Rin looking palpably shaken from what just transpired. Before his eyes he had a flash of his memory breach the surface and appear within the thunderclap; a girl covered in blood with white hair, laying there before a man with black clothes and a beating heart in his hand. Gritting his teeth, he knelt down and darted from the protective space Rin had made, the cloaked man zooming out in a pulse of motion that broke Rin out of her shock and realized what he was doing a moment too late.

"Trace...On!"

The Heroic Spirit heard his feet clap on the water once he was but a handful of meters away from him. He was surprised he didn't sense his prana until just his words penetrated the thick sheets of rain, his head turning ever-so slightly to see a ring of turquoise energy that synergized together to form a number of iconic looking blades. Pulling the crude looking chain tied to them, they rotated and spun violently, discharging like a buzz saw of eloquent weapons flying at intense velocity.

"OHO! So you want to be felled by the Mighty Thor as well?!" The Servant bellowed out, swinging his hammer around in an electric burst, crashing into the spinning weapons and shattering the majority of the weapons in a single stroke. To his surprise, he found himself restrained by invisible chains, linked to the allegedly broken chains that the fragments of swords created. The sound of Shirou skirting the water between his legs and jumping into the storming sky, his soaked cloak billowing out dramatically a whip of crimson with his scarf and headband. Craning his neck, he saw him form a pair of swords in a flash of light -one white and the other black- descending upon him with a bodily twirl towards his back.

"Kanshou and Bakuya, OVEREDGE!" Shirou howled out, his blades elongating within instants, becoming organically stretched metal long swords instead of the short blades they were upon first projection. Crashing his weapons into man's shoulder and back, the weapons carved into the furred cloak, shearing into the armored plating protecting his skin. His eyes took in the details of the cloak and armor, each one a defense in of themselves that surpassed any he conceived -elemental resistant and anti-magic apparel of unique make- though his weapon sunk an inch in, it barely cut through and showed a shower of sparks in the motion of his pair of swords. "All of that and it didn't even break through?!"

"Word of advice," The Heroic Spirit crowed, muscles stretching and craning till the invisible chains groaned, twisted and then snapped off of him in a shower of broken links that clattered noisily across the ruined floor. "If you manage to grapple someone," He began to say, twisting around with inhuman speed and swinging his hammer around to catch Shirou's entire left side, somehow even bigger than he originally witnessed. "GO FOR THE HEAD!"

Reflexively raising his blades up in a crisscross guard as he jumped back, he felt just the edge of the hammer graze his weapons. The torrential wind that blew with it crashed into the weapons, fragmenting them but not shattering them as he felt the brutal gale force him off his feet mid-jump. Remembering what happened to Artoria, he twirled one weapon to stab into the ground, grinding himself to a halt while his enemy bolted towards him with his hammer reared back to strike again. Concentrating again, Shirou fed energy into his legs, kicking off the earth in a flash of light and landing in a slide of water across a nearby sidewalk; just as the hammer crashed into the ground with a mighty plume of concrete, dust and rainwater with the thunderclap.

"Shirou, what are you doing?!" Rin finally inquired, outraged and mortified just how close her husband was to death just then.

"Making a stand!" Shirou cried out, further reinforcing his projection till it protruded spikes and burned a critical pulse of red. Throwing the two long swords at the approaching Servant, he smashed them with his hammer causing them to explode in a fiery display of Broken Phantasm with his Kanshou and Bakuya. Sparks flew from the smoke followed with sporadic tendrils of lightning, forking out in a hungry pursuit for the Magus. Thinking quickly, Shirou projected a broad executioner's ax and sent it flying towards it, halting the electricity in a conductive lure so he could dash away in the rain again before the blast of energy tore it apart and followed through with its assault. Sliding across the ground, produced another pair of Kanshou and Bakuya, brandishing them bravely as the opposing Servant fired bolt after bolt of lightning at him as he kept throwing his blades as deterrents and kept his distance. "We have to buy time for Lancer to recover! If we don't, she'll be finished by him!"

Grimacing, Rin knew there was a raw logic to what Shirou said beyond his emotions overriding his common sense. The last blow had sent Lancer reeling back, kilometers farther than they could hope to reach but certainly this Heroic Spirit who commanded the elements could do so with ease. If she was going to make it through this war, she was going to have to play as daring as her husband was. Closing her eyes, she reopened them, withdrawing a pair of quartz crystals from her poncho's pocket.

"Crack, the whole of your heart. Freeze, the whole of your summer's air. Let loose a company of arrows with thine element attached and intensify!"

Her incantation rang out, briefly catching the Heroic Spirit's eye as he felt a disturbance in the rainfall nearby. The falling raindrops were coalescing into solid form, elongating and becoming crystalline daggers of ice, mana surging from a pair of jewels held in front of the other mage that had held back in attacking him. Tossing the quartz gems up into the air, she swung her arm around, letting them shoot off like rocket propelled spears of frozen water towards the given area the Servant stood.

"Such magic is futile, Mage!" Thor boomed out, swinging his bludgeon towards projectiles in a destructive arc, smashing the ice spears. But in the breaking of the frozen shards protruded spears of energy, jutting out and lancing out into his extended arm, piercing the gauntlet and burrowing into his skin. Growling, he spun the hammer around, preparing to throw it just as a build-up of prana made him look over to see the pair of swords Shirou had manifested had been reshaped into a bladed arrow, notched into the string of a black bodied bow. Releasing it in a milky-black streak towards his target, the Heroic Spirit turned his heel and struck the projectile, the two's contact creating a sizable explosion that forced the Servant to skid a handful of meters back; grinning with satisfaction. "This is good! Together you two are worthy entertainment!"

Shirou grimaced, feeling that they were in no position to play a game of endurance with a Servant. Looking at Rin as she readied a pair of Gandr in either of her forefingers he knew now this wasn't the time to second guess himself. This was his plan, impulsive or not. They had to keep this up, until Lancer returned. That in mind, he charged into the fray, new blades brandished and joined in with Rin for battle of their life.

* * *

Archer had seen his fair share of battles. Both as a Heroic Spirit and as a figure of historical-myth, he was a part of battles the likes of which mortal men couldn't fathom. Even his famed journey back to his homeland was fraught with peril and danger at any possible turn he made. But the sight he bore upon the distance with his own eyes, for many kilometers away. Despite his Master's insistence to get closer, he informed him that due to their skill sets, it was best to observe from a distance before daring to engage the enemy.

"What do your legendary eyes see, my Lord?" Kyrios inquired, the tunic adorned man soaked with oncoming moisture falling from the dark sky but looked completely at ease. The circular runes on the back of his hands trailing up his arms beneath the soaked fabric glowed vibrantly white with blue outlines. Trailing up the back of his neck to form a network of intricate runes on his head, his eyes aglow as well, the Elementalist Magus looked to his stalwart Archer whom peered his eyes through the rain to the distant flashes of light and sparks; the distant sound of battle elevating ever so slightly above the storm's chaotic flashes and thunderclaps happening above their heads.

"It looks like that last flash of light we saw that tore a line through the city was Lancer," He briefly turned in his explanation, smoke doused but coiling currents of electricity left in the scar of Chennai's landscape kilometers away into a smoldering heap. "I don't believe its dead, but the Servant must be either unconscious, stunned or in serious pain," Looking back ahead where the sparks and thuum of battle transpired, he finished his analysis. "And from the look of things, Lancer's Master and her colleague are keeping the Servant's attention away from their own."

"How valiant! It tugs at my heartstrings to see such noble honor and dedication to one's comrade!" Kyrios cried out with enthusiasm, waving an arm with emphasis and clenching the other upright while he looked close to the point of tears. "Truly, it's been a long time since I've seen a mage's compassion for what is essentially a summoned familiar. Remarkable!"

"Should I take it out?"

"Nonsense!" He chastised, though held a playful smirk on his face, clasping a hand on Archer's shoulder and shaking it a little. "It's only the first night! Let's savor the opportunity to catch our prize. After all, I want my enemies to know that I have the strongest Heroic Spirit on my side, and it's through our combined intellect and strength that will play into their complete downfall!"

"Ha! I think you and Diomedes would've had a grand time scheming," Archer guffawed, grinning heartily back at his Master. "The two of us, I swear, were the only intelligent bunch in that ridiculous army of Agamemnon's."

"Indeed. I wish I was there to witness such harrowing tales of epic conquest and mortal danger. The life of a mage isn't all that grand, especially when the only thing you have left when you have power and riches is strike a name in the history books. Perhaps someday, you can see my collection of books and tell me just what the authors have exaggerated or what they got right?"

"Hm, perhaps," Odysseus nodded, his eyes returning to the site of conflict. The woman seemed to use a mixture of martial arts to deftly avoid brutal strokes of the Heroic Spirit's hammer, throwing out what looked like bullet-like spells that deterred the Servant. Meanwhile the other man in red attacked with an unpredictable style, projecting what looked like weapons akin to design of a Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm. It fascinated him; the prana coming from him wasn't on the level of a Servant but he moved and fought just like one. Between the pair, they seemed to be holding back their opponent; that or he was having too much fun, given the near manic grin on his face as he laughed with every attack missed or hit on his person. "You might think twice about engaging Lancer's Master and her associate. They look quite dangerous, if this fight is indicating anything."

"I revel the challenge!"

"If you say so," Archer sighed, leaning onto one side and then gesturing with a spare hand. "If you ask me, this is a prime opportunity to take all of them out. Even if that formidable unidentified Heroic Spirit could repel such an attack, I think I can take down both of them before they can react."

"Well, you are the strategist," Kyrios affirmed, stroking his goatee as he stared through the sheets of rain at the distant battlefield. "If it proves advantageous for us to attack now, that'd be splendid. However, I have a strong gut feeling that Servant isn't a Caster. Based on my senses I can tell someone's using magic to hide his battle statistics; but he's still susceptible to higher tier spells from a versed magus. That means, we have a few options as to what Class of Servant he is. A Saber, though unlikely given his weapon is a hammer. A Berserker, though he doesn't seem completely mad so possibly not. Or a Rider, but his mount is nowhere to be seen. Deduction of elimination rules out the other classes so really, I'd rather see all of his abilities in full before I make a call for an attack."

The Heroic Spirit was impressed. Despite his excitable nature, the man was both shrewd and deductive in his reasoning. His own Hawk Eye skill didn't allow him to decipher that man's class, just that his identity was let loose for all to see without a hint of doubt or fear of it. He may be clever, but even he can't pierce the veil of magic that was designed to keep prying eyes from figuring out his full specs.

A sudden pyre of mana caught his periphery, drawing his gaze to it along with Kyrios. His eyes widened and his mouth nearly gaped, while Kyrios calmly took in the sight. An immense prana was projecting a level of power that baffled him. Who it belonged to also confused him greatly...

"...Lancer?!" He cried out in shock, watching the following events unfold in the span of instants.

* * *

Lancer had felt her whole world rock her into a spasming crash of pain. The whole of her body had deflected the blunt trauma, her durable mature frame enduring the strain of high velocity and the eventual crash she had. No, what had rendered her unconscious was the limitless voltage of lightning that the AEsir unleashed on her armored frame. Had it not been the Invisible Air and aura of mana she raised when she defended herself, she knew she'd be suffering more than a vague numbing feeling that came with hissing burns from the oven her armor had turned into.

A faint ringing echoed in her ears from the interior of her lion-helm, vision blurred through the slits of her protective slits. Groaning, she pushed slabs of structures and saw that she had carved a path through the whole city. Stumbling to her feet, she grit her teeth and felt the lance was still in her hand. Turning to look it over she berated herself for acting so thoughtless; the moment this irreplaceable and mystic artifact was tossed over her head, she couldn't help but fear the worst and forgot her place in the fight.

" _ **Unleash!**_ "

The impulse came with an eerie sentience, something she was all too familiar with. Growling, she shook the weapon and forced it with her own iron will to subside. This sacred spear was more than her valuable weapon that helped stop the traitorous Mordred when Excalibur was thrown from her grasp; this held a special importance in the development of the world and the end of the Age of Gods.

Her mind was hindered by sudden feelings of impact and pain, the connection between herself and Rin, let alone Shirou, was being hampered. Eyes widened and she knew that they must have continued fighting, for however long she was plunged into darkness. Closing her eyes, she calmed herself and drew in a deep inhale of air, then exhaled.

Breathe in.

Exhale.

Breathe in.

Upon the latest exhale, she unleashed the floodgates on her magic circuits. Her lance opened ever so slightly, golden recesses of energy emanating from the Noble Phantasm in her grasp. Glaring ahead she bent her knees and leaped up; landing on a current of manifesting light as she streaked across the line of destruction, spear held ahead as she became a spectral force of momentum and power.

* * *

Saber felt like he was walking into a clash of titans.

In the moment he got within what felt like a quarter of a mile's distance from the fighting a mighty crack followed by a blaze of lightning and a silhouette caught in its coils thrust not far from the pair, kicking up a wave of fierce air pressure with it. Bracing himself along with his Master, the knight grimaced at the sight of a Servant caught in such a terrifying net of power. Ending with a bright distant explosion, the spectral aide to the bounty hunter turned to look at him, looking slightly befuddled at what he witnessed.

"What in Sam Hill was tat'?!"

"That was a Servant being struck by another," Saber replied, his golden eyes turning to see the turbulent trail of electricity and toppled structures that was left in its wake. "And hit quite hard."

"No shit," Cleetus commented, turning to look at the source. Not very far away was a torn up street of a plaza-like area near a temple lying in the vista. There he saw a red-cloaked figure begin making his assault on the bigger man -whom he thought had to be a spirit cause no man in the world should be that large- and did very little to deter him. Regardless, he was quite nimble from his point of view and from the way the woman shrieked at him, he reckoned they were married; or at least the next best thing, engaged. "Seems like tey' are in a heap of trouble. Fightin' a monster like tat' 's suicide!"

"He does look quite formidable," The Heroic Spirit acknowledged, feeling the rain wash away any hint of sweat he may be permeating in anxiousness. The very air he stood in was palpably belonging to the sheer prana that he exuded. If such a being was capable of harnessing the elements to do his bidding he knew that the man wasn't to be underestimated. Yet, even as he laughed and swung his mighty hammer, the two mages seemed to be holding their own to the best of their ability. One used what looked like a curse, shaped into a spell that acted like a bullet, and then Reinforcement Magic to strengthen her legs and arms to move adeptly around the wild swings and mighty strokes of the bludgeon. The other looked like he was disguised by Projections, using Reinforcement on his body and clothes to move faster, hit harder and endure his battle with the Heroic Spirit. The weapons he summoned bore a striking resemblance to what he only assumed was a striking imitation to Noble Phantasms!

"As I live and breathe, those two mages are still alive!" Saber exclaimed, enamored by the grace and poise of the beautiful woman who used great skill of elemental magic and the mage in red use swordsmanship and ranged combat with equal skill to an ability he didn't think was possible. "Incredible!"

"Yeah-yeah, 'ey're nothin' special," Cleetus sniffed, sneezing a bit in the heavy rain that kept battering his cowboy hat and coat. Just as he began to make a gesture to brush past his Servant, he felt his whole body get chills. Recognizing the spasm just as quickly, both him and the spirit looked to their right in time to see an enormous plume of light shoot up into the sky, striking the heavens and spiraling the clouds around it. Lightning coiled around it, attracted to this new developing energy and assimilated into its shooting current. Pulled down just as swiftly as it manifested, a howling streak soared past their eyes; while Cleetus saw a specter, Saber saw everything pass in slow motion, the detail of a figure boring through on a silver mount with glittering armor and a glowing golden spear in hand. "WHAT IN TA' DEVIL?!"

"My King," He breathed, just as a loud impact was heard, felt and seen by the pair.

* * *

Shirou was feeling the burn. Despite it having been only a couple minutes, he knew he was overextending himself with all of these Projection and Reinforcement spells he was firing in rapid succession. That and his own body's momentum to use aerodynamic dexterity and his own physical prime to stay one step ahead of the Heroic Spirit known as Thor Odinson's strikes. Rin herself, from what he saw, was looking irritated. While she didn't hone her body to a higher standard than Shirou did, he knew that her firing as many spells she did would even wear on her. All it took for this Servant to win was to land one direct blow on either of them and then it'd be all over.

The sudden sensation of nirvana struck him, the proximity of Artoria was growing ever so nearer within a matter of seconds. He hadn't seen the pillar of light but had felt his connection to her draw closer about as quickly as Rin did as her Master. Turning to look, the Heroic Spirit paused in his sideshow entertainment to look at a careening specter of white light with flecks of blue flecking off it. A golden lance was raised up, triggering a sense of urgency for Shirou to tackle Rin away from Thor's immediate vicinity.

A flash of blue, pulsing white, the immovable Heroic Spirit was bathed in plasma and mana twisting around to spin his hammer around to deflect the incoming offending weapon. His hammer, easily scaling to be bigger than most of Shirou's stature, crashed into a silver-golden spear that coalesced Invisible Air and enriched mana pouring off it. The momentum, force and sheer scale of the curtain of light coming from Lancer was far greater than it was before, smashing the earth and buckling the titan of a man's legs. The AEsir's eyes widened behind his mantle of lightning, his heels skidding backward, kicking up sparks and gravel as he began to give way. Strengthening his muscles, he roared out, his opponent crying out as well as their two powerful weapons continued to pressure against each other. Light sheared the air and ground, lightning crackling all around the immediate vicinity, wind swirling around in an imitation of a twister forming around the pair of struggling warriors.

Then, in an instant, the light and electricity coalesced into a singularity; exploding into an elliptical blast of gold and blue, pushing Lancer a handful of steps and the god of Norse myth was blown back even farther. In the trail of unstable energy that scorched the ground, turning it ashen and ebbing static electricity, his feet never left the ground, a testament to the sheer strength of the man they've been fighting. Swinging his hammer aside, he blew away the rising vapor and immediate rainfall, revealing Lancer's reason for coming back so strong.

There she stood -or rather, sat-, upon what looked like a silver plated stallion, the likes of which Shirou had never seen -both in life and in books-. A white horse, bathed in a sheen of silver due to the plating covering its head, torso and legs, have white mane to give it a pure holy appearance. Despite the fur and cloak's frayed appearance, they saw that she looked alright; though her countenance seemed to have been riled into something akin to being enraged, from the sound of her voice.

"Do not think so mighty of yourself from just one hit," Lancer replied, green eyes glowing heatedly past the lion maw's helm. "I am far stronger than you'd believe."

"HAHAHAHA, EXCELLENT, KING OF BEASTS!" Thor bellowed out, raising his hammer to point at her direction. "A marvelous steed, to be sure! Had I not pegged you for a Lancer from the start, I'd say you were the Rider in this war. But nay, that honor belongs to none other than myself," Swinging an arm towards the sky, a vibrant coil of lightning danced in zigzag motion, flowing through the air like an ethereal beast in of itself. Twisting around in mid-lunge one could see a pair of large rams with conductive energy siphoning from their horns, down to their hooves, carrying an ornate wooden and metal chariot whose wheels sprayed tendrils of lightning all around the atmosphere in its motion. Reins of light-wrapped leather were caught by his hand, his enormous form dexterously flipping onto it and riding around the three in a showcase of his mount and transport as one. "Behold, my chariot, carried by Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr! These fair beasts give me unparalleled advantage, on land, sea and the heavens themselves; what can your steed do against such a boon?"

"Rider," Lancer replied, her mount bending its knees as mana swirled around the pair. Coupled with Invisible Air to give her a gale boost, she took off into the sky, streaking around like a comet of light that danced around just as majestically as she did on the earth. With her silver lance coiling the air and a surge of her own mana, the AEsir looked on with a mixture of awe and surprise at his opponent's aerodynamic agility upon her stallion. Shouting at him, she finished what she began saying as she neared him, thrusting her spear towards his head with a howling streak of enhanced force. "I am not the King of Beasts, as you describe! I am the King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon; Britain's Ruler and Master of the Knights of the Round Table of Camelot! Underestimate me at your own peril, Thor Odinson!"

Repelling the mana-wind infused spear with a lightning coiled hammer, the pair of weapons creating a thunderous blast of sound and light that struck the ground from their high altitude. They continued parrying each other as the pair continued to exchange blows, separating with each blast of light and sound that continued across the skyline above them. Rain scattered with each connection of their chosen fated tools of destruction. Lance and hammer alike struck mightily, the pair's prana bursting the seams of the natural world and created a streak of energy in their wake wherever they traveled.

Shirou was left without words to describe what he was seeing. This Artoria was on a completely different level than the Saber he knew in the past. She rose to the occasion to meet this Rider Servant, matching him blow for blow, ferociously pushing the offensive against the ridiculously strong opponent. It was amazing to behold.

Yet...

"He's getting faster," Rin intoned aloud, speaking out loud what Shirou was beholding.

It was true, while in direct lines and veering turns, Lancer was matching the momentum and force of Rider. However, Rider began to snap the reins of his chariot, lightning pulsing wildly and his whole being flashed with blue and white. Hurtling past the point where she thrust her spear, her eyes widened with realization, seeing the arc of jagged electricity signal his sudden appearance above her. Crashing against her raised lance at the last moment, she faltered for a moment, her steed neighing wildly as it pushed on in a straight line. Rider began to appear beside her, swinging his hammer around in a trio of arcs that seemed to blend together, forcing her to thrust a powerful gale of mana burst and Invisible Air. Disappearing another crack of light, he repeated the same event over and over, wearing her down in the torrential raining heavens that was his territory.

Then, he pulled back, out of reach and spun his hammer.

Throwing it, surging forth at the same speed he was traveling but now aimed straight for her body. This time she couldn't block it all, the surge of ether and mana of equal amount blasted her with concussive power packed with the weight of the weapon. The lance had stopped a majority of its mass, but the remainder struck her helm and right shoulder, a howling blast of light propelled her and her mount to the ground in a scorching impact. The blast wave forced Rin and Shirou to brace themselves from her wake, but both looked on in fright at what became of her.

Rising up, steed and all, Lancer showcased a sturdy resistance they thought impossible. The right side of her helmet had been sheared off, revealing her vibrant green eye and blonde hair -part of it dirtied by soot and blood from a gash in her crown- with the part of her armor that had been struck oozing vapor and looked quite torn up, the fur itself burnt to ashes but no sign of her body being maimed by the blast. The lance itself thrummed with an ominous energy, once again making Shirou's head ache when he stared too intently upon it.

Tearing her helmet off, dispelling it in a shower of golden dust, braid her hair was in now undone to show long locks of gold that was soaked immediately by the rain and shimmered from the chaotic web of lightning that continued to light up the sky. Green eyes burned emerald through the haze of rain, looking upward defiantly at the now still Rider, holding his position and looking down at his quarry with amazement.

"I still live, Rider!" She cried out, pointing her lance up at him for emphasis. "You'll have to use more than speed to bring me down!"

"HA! So I may! You truly live up to your fame in not only name, King of Knights!" He bellowed from on high, his voice augmented by his control over the storm and shuddered the earth below. Raising his hammer over his head, the whole of the immediate storm showered the weapon with immense voltage. Flashing with an intensity of a star, the sheer output of his prana began to warp space, flashing electrical output and snapping across the vista of Chennai. "I shall reward your tenacity and prowess on the field of battle, Lancer! I shall ensure this blow annihilates you, leaving nothing but ashes!"

Shirou's eyes widened as he felt the prana make his hair stand on end. The sheer density of mana coalescing into the Heroic Spirit's weapon felt like it was on a completely different scale than the blasts from before. Each one that Lancer could endure and come back for more, but this was on a different league in of itself. Worse, he felt if this blast misfire, it could wipe out a whole chunk of Chennai if not the entirety of it if he misjudged his strength.

"There's no running from something like that," Rin morbidly revealed, her hair flowing with the wind that was swirling around them, the rain picked up in the spiraling storm clouds that bent to the Heroic Spirit's will. "Power on this scale is more than likely his Noble Phantasm. And if not, this is just a byproduct of how strong that hammer of his really is."

"Dammit! And I can't reach him from down here!" The red-haired Magus cried out with balled up fists of frustration. "He's so high up that even my arrows can't touch him!"

Despite this whole imminent calamity beginning to unfold, Shirou turned to look at Lancer and saw her eerily calm. The spear in her hand rattled, pulsing almost like a throbbing heartbeat of golden light that threatened to burst out. Her grip reaffirmed, slamming its tip into the earth while she stared up with a stoic glare of green, past the rain that pelted her face and the wind that blistered across her golden hair.

" _Rider is strong, stronger than even I am in these prime conditions. That Noble Phantasm of his could lay waste to this entire city and beyond if he felt like it, but his eyes are resting on me,_ " Lancer determined, her eyes lowering to the erratically trembling weapon she kept subsided with her iron will and cemented spirit. " _If I let my lance run wild, it'll be difficult to return back to dormancy. Should I take the chance and unleash it? I might be able to defeat Rider, but he might be able to survive or avoid it, given that speed he demonstrated. What can I do? What should I do?_ "

A high pitched whistling was barely heard in the roar of the storm. Shirou's periphery caught it, the only one who saw the outline of this glowing form. It resembled a shooting star if it was golden and streaking like a comet. The more he stared at it, the more he fathomed its shape and design. Beyond the glow of mana that it exuded, the phenomena wasn't a natural one; it was a projectile!

The residual crackling energy being siphoned by the hammer would shear some of the missile's coating of light, revealing an ancient style of arrow that spun towards its target. With Rider's energy being disrupted by a rapidly approaching signature of mana, his face shrunk into one of alarm and his eyes darted to his right, the missile hissing nearly silent towards his exposed point by his neck. Swinging his charged hammer against it, he was met with surprise as the projectile detonated and expanded outward in a luminous blast of howling heat that overlapped his position and blew out the better part of the clouds he was beneath.

Rin was just as shocked as Lancer was, the pair looking around for the source of the attack and where another Servant may be hiding. Shirou had only just saw it with his own eyes, giving him the deduction the projectile launched had condensed enough mana that it wouldn't leave a trail of its own to the source. That and the surprise such an immense reaction was had from a single missile of any kind alarmed him. Were they just as easily in range, or was Rider the priority?

"WHO DARES?!" The Heroic Spirit howled with fury, his aura erupting in a flash of electricity that snapped and cracked violently across the sky. Despite the heat of the blast, it did nothing more than give the Servant superficial scorch marks on his armor and irrelevant burns across his weapon holding hand. The bludgeon held in his grasp shook, still primed with a terrifying surge of power as he spun it around over his head, scouring for the one who struck him. "COME FACE ME, COWARD! I PROMISE YOUR DEATH WILL BE QUICK, BUT I SHAN'T GUARANTEE IF YOU CONTINUE TO SKULK IN THE SHADOWS THAT I WILL BE AS KIND!"

"That's enough, Rider."

The Servant halted his enraged cries when he heard that voice echo in his head. Grimacing, he growled under his breath as he replied silently to the source, halting the spinning of his hammer but not downward yet, "Master, you can't allow this injustice to go unpunished. Such tactics are reprehensible to my honor and I shall sooner lay waste to this whole city before I let such an infidel get away with such treachery-!"

"You're not seeing the bigger picture, Rider. You did your job well, bringing everyone's attention upon you and letting everyone reveal themselves in one way or another so that I can see them for myself. Almost all have been noticed and their eyes are on you. Strong as you are, it is not wise to lure in more enemies to the point you may be overwhelmed, regardless of your strength."

"I disagree strongly. I can take every Servant in this war on my own, and their Masters. Is it not why you summoned me but for my undeniable strength and might?" He continued, he held his hammer high, ominously glaring at the cityscape surrounding him for another ranged attack. "I won't have another chance to bring them to their knees than now!"

"You will, Rider. Trust me, I know what's best for our course of action. Did you not acknowledge me as worthy of being your Master?"

"Aye," He answered out loud, lowering his hammer and dispersing its energy. "You better recompense me for this."

"Oh I shall get you a feast for a job well done. Plus all of the mead you can drink!"

"HA! Then I shall depart, for now," Rider answered, turning to vocally address Lancer, her Master, and the Magus in red. "Consider yourselves spared for now, for my Master has deemed it necessary that we shall postpone our duel! Be proud and hold your heads high knowing you survived an encounter with the mighty Thor Odinson! And as for the interloper," He sneered, turning to point his hammer from the general direction the arrow came. "I know it be you, Archer, that had slighted me in such an uncouth manner! I shall not forget this, and the instant I cross paths with you, reckoning will be had!"

In a flash of lightning and thunder, the Servant disappeared, leaving no trace of him other than the carnage and the now light rainfall of the storm filled sky as evidence of his presence.

Lancer breathed a sigh of relief, fully sealing her spear once again, knowing the danger had passed. Turning on her mount, she looked over at Rin and Shirou, casting a stoic stare that melted into concern at the scrapes, bruises and weathered appearance of the pair, "I'm sorry I left you in such danger. Forgive my folly, for that earlier misstep was a novice mistake for someone as experienced as I to commit. It won't happen again."

"You don't need to apologize, Lancer," Rin reassured her, though her countenance looked anything but pleased. "But that Servant we just fought was ridiculously strong. I'm just impressed just how well you fought against him."

"It helps to be a being akin to a goddess," She admitted, though held a tinge of sadness in her green eyes. Looking to the white spear, she looked at it with both reverence and caution as she explained. "This weapon has aged me beyond the youth that Caliburn, and later Excalibur could have maintained but it has a presence that makes it almost as alive as I am. Committing to unleashing its strength fully would be something I wish to avoid unless no other choice may be had."

"That's a good thing to know earlier!"

"Again, I apologize."

"A bit late for that, isn't it?!" Rin barked back with irritation.

"Easy, Rin. No need to get flustered," Shirou tried to reassure her with a hand on her shoulder. Feeling her shake it off, she turned to slap him across the face, surprising him and the onlooking Lancer. The sting only reminded him of what she could possibly be mad at, inclining him to look back at her furious eyes with lament and hang his head. "I'm...sorry. The moment I saw Lancer get struck like that I-"

"I KNOW why you did it, you idiot!" Rin exclaimed, grabbing him by the scarf and leaning him in to look deep into her eyes; eyes that moistened past the rainfall that landed over her face. "But it doesn't give you the excuse to run in without a plan, or to just explain yourself after the fact. Sometimes, it's smarter and stronger to hold yourself back without lunging in on impulse. Even if you really want to do it, don't just fly off the handles and get that much closer to dying!"

"I know," He answered softly, smiling halfheartedly as he reached up and pulled her into a surprise hug, making her sputter as her face met his shoulder. Without much resistance she wrapped her own arms around his broad back, clenching her eyes shut and fumed silently. "I'll try harder, Rin. It's not easy, doing what you do, you know?"

"I realize that, idiot," Rin remarked, huffing, not relinquishing her hold on him as she opened her bright blue eyes again. "Just...don't risk yourself so needlessly."

"Master!" Lancer exclaimed, causing the pair to release their embrace to look at the mounted Servant, her eyes looking towards an armored figure approaching with a more rough silhouette watching from around the corner of a street. "It's another Servant!"

"Already?!" She hissed, fishing in her poncho for another few gems while Shirou tensed and readied for another fight. The man approaching had silver hair, soaked from the rain and flat across his head. His eyes glowed gold through the spray of liquid, seeming to be the most defined feature other than his pale complexion. With a distinct coat-of-arms on his breastplate, the purple cloaked and armored man took a few more steps and looked up at Lancer.

"It can't be," Artoria whispered, her green eyes drawn to the unmistakable face of an old comrade from a time she thought long forgotten. The armor that bore her crest of Camelot, the sheen of silver and the fabric of violet were all the trappings of only one person of the Round Table she knew. Without skipping a beat, the young man knelt to one knee with an arm crossed over his plated chest, head bowed before her while she whispered his name with bewilderment and awe. "Galahad?"

"It's good to see a familiar face," He raised his head, smiling sincerely as his eyes met hers with praise that complemented the respect etched from his voice. "My King."

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 **A/N:** Aaaaaaaaaand that's a wrap! Ho boy this was an amazing fight to write. From the POV that spanned across city to give a sense of scale to the actual conflict and having Shirou and Rin get a little piece of action, all so fun to detail. And really, if it wasn't for the fact I was having a blast, I probably wouldn't be churning these chapters out so quickly in succession. This is a ride that I don't want to end until it does reach its natural conclusion. I hope everyone who reads this is also enjoying it, regardless of their feelings of possible disagreement or the choices I make as a writer for this story.

That being said, I shall now make it clear to everyone before I respond to the comments: I am not getting rid of Thor. I had already begun writing the chapter title and the beginning of the next update by the time I got the full wave of Reviews. While only half of the typed feedback was a bit skeptical, the other half seemed to have enjoyed it regardless. Since this is going to be an issue that needs to be addressed I want to make it clear that this Grail ISN'T the Fuyuki Grail. I've consulted with a relative guru of Fate Lore and he said the stuff I'm doing is legal especially since gods of Hindu and Norse mythology are physical gods that are basically "Super People" and less actual Divine Beings. I can understand the argument if this kind of thing happened in Fuyuki, but this is a different grail war that is its own unique phenomena that wouldn't have been possible to utilize some of the characters that are or going to be revealed.

If you have further complaints about this subject, please PM me about it, because I'd like to move on from that and discuss other things as the story progresses. That being said, let's respond to some reviews!

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 **Ultimate_Kuuga** : I think I just answered that at the end of this chapter! XD

 **G** : I'd prefer if you use an actual profile, so I could respond to you immediately as you post your Review, but that's just my preference. As I stated in my Author Notes, Thor isn't a true Divine Being. Even going through his lore he's an AEsnir, a being that has phenomenal power but is still flesh and blood (more like a super-being than an actual deity of divine presence like the Olympian gods; more or less like the gods of Hinduism). I checked this over with a very knowledgeable Fate guy and he thought it was fine, I am making this grail war much more different in its function and doesn't use the actual Fuyuki Ley Line to make this happen. All in all, I don't think I've made a mistake and that's the price paid when writing a fan story. Hopefully this answer satisfies you; if not, then I'm sorry we have to disagree on it.

 **Amouren** : Yes, I enjoy writing him as a Rider as well ;) He's a fun character over all to write and his interactions have been pretty entertaining just from my own perspective. Hope you enjoyed him in this chapter as well ^^

: As I've stated in my earlier response AND Author Notes, he's a physical god and not a true divine being. His myth coexisted around the same era as others in the Age of Gods from what I've seen and from what I've studied he's an AEsnir, who are basically just super-humans with phenomenal power. Again, I'm sticking with Thor, and I already had set up a lot for him being this Heroic Spirit. Sorry if that disappoints you and I hope you continue reading anyways.

 **SentinalSlice** : Not as odd as some of the humor in Fate Apocrypha (ie, the only reason Astolfo was a Trap was for the joke that he is a guy dressed and shaped as a girl; that's...funny?). I thought it was funny, so yeah, I guess not all of my jokes are going to be hits ;P

 **mg1147** : My story, my rules and a grail war that isn't based IN Fuyuki. That's honestly all I have to say since I've had to repeat myself for every one of these Review responses ;P I'm not using Magni, even though he does sound pretty cool, and I'm sticking with Thor. If the son of a god and a giant can be used, I'm sure the actual god can be used since he actually sounds less hax than his own offspring. Plus, being an AEsnir makes him not a Divine Being and more of a super-person, as I've said already. I don't know what you meant by the interaction of the other Masters and Servants but that is the aim I'm going for. Hope you enjoy the rest of it, regardless of our difference of opinion and choice!

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And that's it! Thor's staying, and that's that. Let's see how many of you stay with this story after that "controversial" choice of mine XP


	5. V - An Oath of Blood

Bazett had thought she saw it all.

The Magus had been through Hell on Earth in various forms: The training to inherit the crest of her family, the missions she accomplished for the Mage Association, and the battles she's had to endure. Starting off a woman had already put her at a disadvantage, the regimens put upon her were more grueling than any man was expected of in order to refine her to her physical peak. The mental fortitude she honed to withstand, block out and at times outright ignore the duress her body went through helped her through many a crisis. Martial arts mastered at a young age, she practiced the art of runes to further enhance her already significant strength. Then, she inherited her Fraga's Noble Phantasm and repeated the long ritual in order to craft just one of its spherical containers.

Her moment of truth was to be had at the 5th Holy Grail War. Already a suspicious event, the Clocktower assigned her to be its representative and await to be chosen. When she got her Command Seals, she left on a plane immediately to Fuyuki, meeting with an old colleague of hers that she didn't expect. Having survived the catastrophe of the Tohsaka's Head being slain in the 4th Grail War, and his own father's murder, he became the new Overseer out of convenience and recommendation.

It was her mistake for letting her guard down.

A moment of pain, a moment of severance of her left arm and a puncture through the chest that bypassed her hidden fail-safe. The last thing she could comprehend was seeing the man take the severed hand's command seals, walk away and left her to die. In what was final incoherent field of static, black and white film that replaced her vision she had felt some odd tingling and then a ripping fire tear through what was left of her consciousness. Just as her eyes opened, she saw a hooded man whose eyes burned through the shadow cast by a shadow covering his face and his hand forming a magic circle in the air she didn't comprehend.

Then, when she came to, she was in the middle of a courtyard and lying prostrate in the same position Kirei had left her. Coming to, she gingerly awoke and surveyed her surroundings. The air was familiar, the grass not covered in blood and the pain she had felt was vacant, as if she never possessed it. When she analyzed herself she saw the arm that was severed was gone, the wounds erased and even the fabric of her jacket and dress shirt were the way it once was.

Someone stumbled upon her, a slender woman of youthful disposition, long blonde hair draped over her shoulders to the middle of her back with a blue beret affixed with a white flower placed on an angle of her crown. Dressed in a long-sleeved blouse with black forearm warmers, a cobalt shawl draped over her upper body that complemented her black stockings draped down to a pair of traveling brown boots. Brown gloves affixed to her hands as she looked at her curiously, a simple smile stretched inquisitively on her face as a liquid metal skinned golem with long curly hair and a smooth sheen face that wore a maid's outfit.

She'd be introduced to Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, the official Head of the Archibald Family and her golem maid, Trimmau, as inheritance from her deceased relative, Kayneth El-Melloi. After a brisk conversation Bazett concluded a horrible reality at what transpired. She wasn't in Fuyuki anymore and the 5th Holy Grail ended, with her blood found at the site as evidence of her demise.

Something that had transpired ten years ago.

" _Who and what has done such a thing to me?_ "

Those were her concluding thoughts with her reverie ending, her trek across the city less urgent as the harrowing battle reached a climax. A thunderous explosion, a howling shout and a flash of lightning showed distant resolution to the whole affair. But in her slowing pace that she tread to approach the survivors of the battle she saw something drift in the shadows of the adjacent buildings. It didn't have a physical form, just moving around like a ghost whose shadow had not left it.

Without a second delay, she lunged in and struck where the head looked to be. Holding back enough so only the outline of her fist would create a hole, the Fraga Magus saw the instant her knuckles were avoided by the outline of the silhouette's head. Twisting around, it bent down and slithered across the earth, drifting into the shadows of the alleyway nearby. Moving just as quickly, she pursued the figure without skipping a beat, her eyes tracking every twitch and undulation of the darkness that had near corporeal form. Stretching into a building, she smashed through the wall and somersaulted towards it, a hand sought purchase just missing it. Seeing it head out the other way, she shoulder charged through it, the spray of bricks and debris showering the raining outside that gave her an idea.

Grasping a loose brick, she cast runes over the piece of mortar as the shadow was swerving away. Twisting about like she was pitching for a pro league, she swung it, releasing it like a rocket propelled grenade and watched it impact the outline with an explosive blackness that dispersed all over the street. Walking towards it, she looked oddly at the ooze that bled over the ground and saw it looked reminiscent to ink but had the scent of rotting flesh. Hearing a bubbling, she backed up and watched a form emerge from the thick slime, oozing off it without any hint of it sticking to a black hooded man wearing an overcoat that smelled just as heavy in blood; whose eyes made Bazett's widen considerably with recognition and her face pale.

" **You really shouldn't have done that,** " A deep, raspy voice echoed in the air, sounding inhuman and altered through Thaumaturgy. Angled lines of white for eyes narrowed, its recesses hiding a pulsing pupil that glared at her knowingly. Raising a black gloved hand, a devilish chuckle was heard that made her spine crawl. " **Ah, I should've known you would be the first to notice me, Bazett Fraga McRemitz. Of those I've come across, after all, I knew it'd be you that'd both entertain and be of use to me in the coming future; _this_ future, that is.**"

"You're...the one," She began to utter out, her teeth clattering into a gritted expression, fury and horror plastered across her visage in equal measure as her prana rose up to swirl about in a visual distortion in the air. "The one who took my honor and ten years of my life away!"

" ** _The one_ has a name, you ungrateful mage,**" The being replied, raising one hand up to claw at the air, forming ethereal green flames over each digit. With a torch of emerald mana shooting from his palm, he twisted his fingers and crafted a magic circle resembling a clock face, an arcane language replacing the numbers and finger bones for the hour and minute hands. As he twisted it, Bazett found herself restricted to the exact posture she was in, unable to move but receiving information all the same; while her eyes stared on with terror at her predicament. " **Iron Black. That is the name of your savior and the one whose hands hold your life, Fraga Magus!** "

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 **F-A-T-E M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K**

 **V**

 **An Oath of Blood**

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"That was close!" Kyrios remarked aloud, swinging from a rooftop to another, his water whip carrying him through the significantly less violent storm. "I thought our timing was perfect and his attention diverted. I guess we didn't factor in the immense Ether that was being siphoned into that dense pack of mana that is that man's Noble Phantasm. His prana must act as much of a radar as our equipment does."

"All definite possibilities," Archer replied, hopping from building to building, keeping up pace with ease of the swinging Magus. His sandal covered feet splashed and skid with every landing to the subsequent leap he'd take. The pair's parkour led them in the desired direction of the hotel, giving the Heroic Spirit an inkling to discuss. "It may be best if we discreetly leave the hideout from now on. We just revealed our existence in the city after we launched an attack on Rider. They'll take contingencies to watch out for anyone using high altitude structures like the one we've chosen, so we've best to lay low until we find another prime opportunity to strike."

"That we're in both agreement on, my lord," The glowing mage replied in mid-swing, already casting another liquid rope over to another grappling point to continue his momentum. "Though, based that glow and striking appearance, that Lancer seemed almost like a Valkyrie of old if not for the design of the armor. How did you describe it again?"

"It had the figure of a lion with mane etched into the plating, a cloak of royal blue strapped to the back and some other markings akin to a Knight's Order. Though nothing of significant find, her face was revealed once she was injured and the silver spear glowed akin to something I believe it was out of another legend; I can firmly concur that she is more than likely a variant of King Arthur, with the designation Lancer Class with the mystical lance, Rhongomyniad."

"How insightful of you, Archer!" Kyrios remarked with a slight head turn in surprise. "I've heard the stories of Arthurian lore and how they vary from account to account, with the Holy Grail always meddling with the details to suit its own whims. But to think it was a woman but also wielding not Excalibur but a spear instead!"

"The very same spear which had slew the traitorous son Mordred, according to the myth," The Servant replied in mid-jump his eyes turning to meet his as they scaled the air from structure to structure. "A magical weapon that holds as much importance if not more so than even the blade does. I wish I know more but my sharp eyes combined with the grail's knowledge doesn't allow more. We should probably research more to get a better grasp of what we're dealing with, especially since she easily went toe to toe with the half-AEsnir god of thunder."

"All truths," The Elementalist understood, continuing his movement as they drew nearer to their destination. Just as they were making headway, a sudden pulse of prana exploded in a distinct generation that caught his and his Servant's attention. They didn't stop entirely, but could sense something big facing off against something ominous in nature.

"It's either two Heroic Spirits or two dangerous magicians," Archer surmised, glancing carefully at his Master whom didn't return the stare just yet. "Either way, this seems a bit curious that a fight has just broken out so close to the original scene of interest, don't you think?"

"It's worth investigating!" Kyrios replied, smiling a bit nervously as he looked back in his movement that hasn't ceased. "Though, I suggest you go ahead without me. I may be a rambunctious person for my age but I cannot keep pace with the likes of you when you move at top speed. I know you paced yourself to match my own movement out of concern for me, but I think it's better if I return on my own so no one potentially watching our area should be aware of your identity."

"A clever excuse, if not a logical one," The old king and hero sighed with acknowledgement. "Very well, Master. Take care of yourself. Do not hesitate to call me back the moment something go awry."

"I'll be fine! I may not look it, but I'm a spry man for my age!" He assured him with a guffawing laugh.

In a split instant of landing on another building's top, Archer changed his directions and vanished in a fraction of an instant. Peeling through light and space, the Magus could only marvel just how swift the Heroic Spirit was in his movement. He wondered just what feats he was capable of, being one of the most invaluable and adaptable heroes of the Trojan War. He put that aside in his mind as he swung closer to his sanctum and began to compile all the acquired information for his future battle plans.

* * *

It was unbelievable. Before her eyes she saw the youngest and brightest of the Knights of the Round Table, bending his knee and bowing to her in the midst of this rainy night over the Holy Grail War. Silver hair gleamed in what little light was available around them, his golden eyes shined with innocence and purity that made it hard even for the King of Knights to maintain eye contact with. Before her was a man she would have named the next leader of the Knights of the Round Table; even the possibility of him being named her heir to the Kingdom of Britain crossed her mind.

Such as the way of things, regret and guilt clawed at her mind, her face strewn into a stoic mask to avoid showing her private thoughts. Whether it was out of respect or understanding, his eyes looked away from hers so he may not read her so easily. Was she that foolish to hold her mind in a locked cage, or was he just that perceptive?

"And you are?" Rin asked, her voice ringing with skepticism that bore witness of her guarded attitude towards the handsome knight in shining armor. Shirou said nothing, but stood extra close to her, reflexively being threatened by this man's presence and the possibility of being attracted to _his_ Rin. If Rin had noticed his protective stance, she either didn't show it or didn't acknowledge it, for her eyes glared at the golden eyes of the Heroic Spirit kneeling away from them.

"I'm Saber, and as you can see I was once a knight under her rule once upon a time," Galahad replied respectfully, doing his best to not wholesale reveal his persona regardless of Lancer's recognition of him. Gesturing to himself, he rose up back to his feet and smiled to them. "I can see my liege is in good hands with such caring and strong people looking out for her. I was worried, but I worry no longer now that I'm acclimated to your mana and the stance you hold yourselves in. This seems, strangely enough, not your first Holy Grail War to participate in by the way you compose yourselves."

"In a matter of speaking, this is the second one we're participating in," Shirou affirmed honestly, earning the bulging-eyed look from Rin at that sudden admission. "While we were young and didn't actually understand it, the 4th Holy Grail War affected our families and us in personal ways. If anything, this Grail War shouldn't be happening so soon in our generation."

"Ah, so you've noticed it too?" Saber inquired, visibly disconcerted that his own fears were felt by another. "I've felt that, since my summoning, that there's an unnatural presence this grail has. As if, it is both a properly functioning one and one that doesn't belong. It's an enigma to me."

Realizing that odd thrumming energy he felt earlier was, in fact, the Holy Grail, Shirou grew silent to contemplate this.

Rin on the other hand huffed and gestured towards him with a nod to the distant silhouette beyond the street corner, "Is that your Master? Why doesn't he come here to talk?"

"Forgive him, he's a bit of an...oddity, by mage tradition so he says," He explained, an embarrassed expression crossing his face as he laughed musically and scratched the left side of his chin. "He's not quick to trust you, even on my word. It's probably just due to how he lives that's kept him alive all this time so I don't mind it. He let me do as I wish but isn't taking his eyes off me, so it appears."

"For such a bizarre man to summon you, something must have drawn you two together," Lancer finally spoke, her eyes looking at the distant shroud that ducked out of the way once her head inclined in his direction. He looked around the corner a few more times, still keeping himself mostly hidden but not entirely. Smiling, she looked to Saber fondly with affirmation. "He seems like he does care for you. I'm sure no matter how strange, he must be a good fit for you."

"I sure hope so," Saber sighed, scratching his head as he bowed to her once more.

"Well, given we're talking friendly so far," Shirou suggested, pulling his scarf down to reveal his face, smiling lopsidedly as he nodded to his wife and their Servant. "Why not come to our place to help strategize?"

"Excuse YOU!" Rin exclaimed with a sudden shriek, making both Saber and Shirou wince at this; only Lancer looked unaffected by this turn of events, seeming to sense it coming. "That's some gall to ask a potential enemy to make camp in our hideout! Did it ever come across in your mind that alliances in Grail Wars is that got my father KILLED, hm?!"

"Oh come on, Rin!" Shirou argued with a near whine in his insistence. "You saw how strong Rider is, right? And that arrow that was released by that Archer? It's probably a lot better, at least for the moment, that we team up with someone that Lancer knows and seems friendly enough to approach us without starting a fight. I mean," He turned, half skeptically and half curiously staring over at Lancer's now still-faced expression whose green eyes stared into his amber orbs. "You do vouch for him, right?"

"Of all the Knights, of small and great status, he is one of the greatest rapport of all those in my charge and has never led me astray in my reign as king," Lancer replied honestly, her face showing a solemnness in her words and was devoid of a smile as her thoughts drifted to such times. Closing her eyes, she opened them, dismounting from her steed and dispersing it back into a shower of mana that flaked into the wind of the rainstorm. Walking towards him, she approached Saber and stared into his eyes deeply without flinching. The other Heroic Spirit looked back without faltering, seeming to understand what she was intending. Raising an armored hand, he did the same, both clasping each other's forearms which gave way to Lancer grinning with true warmth behind it all. "The oath you gave resonates, even in this form, and I shall not betray that trust you place in me, Saber."

"And I shall ensure, with every fiber of my being, that I shall serve, protect and fight earnestly by your side once more, my King," He acquiesced with an earnest smile, shaking her back with joy that resonated off the twinkling golden eyes.

Rin huffed, looking a bit put-off just how chummy the pair seemed. Shirou looked pleased but seemed to notice her attitude and she tried to wave off his concern. Her understanding of the war was more serious than her husband was; the fact that they'd more than likely have to fight each other, if they miraculously both survive the endeavor, and forgo any oath they had.

Be it in blood or word, it was going to be broken, the more she thought about it.

"Now that you two are firmly on the level," Rin inserted herself back into the conversation, flipping her rain-soaked bangs that stuck out from the poncho's hood. "Get your lurking Master out so we can make arrangements. I rather him walk with us instead of waiting for him to stab us in the back."

"An apt point, my lady," He respectfully replied to Rin, making her scrunch her nose and furrow her brow at the term being used. Looking around his shoulder, he waved him over to which Cleetus shook his head. Sighing, he beckoned twice and then thrice more, before the distant man spewed unintelligible curses as he approached. When he finally waddled up indignantly to them, the cowboy attired man skeptically looked at all of them while chewing a toothpick; something that made Rin immediately dubious of this man's trustworthiness. "This is my Master, Cleetus Silver. Master, this is Lancer, and-"

"Shirou Emiya," The red-cloaked and haired mage replied with a wave of his hand.

"Rin Tohsaka, if you must know," Rin huffed, jutting her chest out as she propped her hands on her hips.

"I don't really wanna nor do I care, really," Cleetus replied dryly with a half-lidded stare directed at the two. Looking up and down the voluptuous armored figure of Lancer, he took out his pick and gestured to her bluntly. "Tat armor's really form fittin'. Ya sure tat's actually protectin' ya?"

"I assure you, it does."

"Coulda fooled me," He snorted, spitting out a wad of something foul before placing the pick back in his mouth, pocketing his hands in his wet coat as he hunched forward and looked at the three of them. "Your place ain't far from here?"

"It's a good ten kilometers, give or take," Shirou replied honestly.

"Oh good. More walkin'!" He lamented with a shout towards the sky. "I wasn't gettin' tired of it so far, might as well keep up ta' pace!"

"Is he going to be like this the whole time?" Rin hissed towards Saber.

"Master, please keep calm. At least we'll be sleeping in a place that isn't completely disreputable," He placated to Cleetus, making the man shuffle his duffel bag's strap around one shoulder.

"Is ta' food good eatin'?" He asked with a raised brow.

"Shirou's the best cook I've known," Rin proudly states, with Shirou sheepishly grinning at the compliment.

"'en it's a done deal! Lead on!" He cried out with a fist raised into the air.

Sighing, Saber shrugged and the other three began a brisk pace so the gunslinger could follow easier. For a moment, a few of them could feel a bout of prana coming from two signatures none recognized. Deciding to keep clear of the danger, they kept movement cautiously to avoid running into any other enemies that may be lurking about.

Unaware of the mysterious figure whose kept distance from them and had since vanished the moment they felt something.

* * *

Bazett couldn't move. Not, that wasn't accurate. It wasn't just movement that the Fraga Magus had trouble with but every faculty function vital to her being. Her heartbeat, her blood circulation, her muscles and even the movement of her eyes was impossible. Raindrops and dust that had been kicked up by her mana jettisoning from her person had simply remained in place since he gestured with that strange magic circle the other made was using. Through her experience, knowledge and general understanding of the magic theories this person who identified as Iron Black had just used a spell that halted time within a localized area itself.

" _This man's control over the Second Magic...this is part of the reason how he managed to send me ten years into the future!_ " She fathomed, her cognitive functions being one of the few things she had control over. The rest were suspended just as the rest of time was around her. If she could show her discomfort and anger towards him, she would, but the way she was she might as well be a puppet on strings. " **Assassin! Can you hear me?** "

" **Loud and clear, Master.** "

" **There's an enemy here wielding powerful magic. I need you to kill him while his attention is on me!** "

" **Understood. I was wondering what that odd prana I was feeling had to do with you.** "

"Just hurry up!" She hissed inwardly, watching the dark horse of a man approach her, its inhuman eyes glowing with irregular shape and its voice continued to thrum ominously through thaumaturgy. Its head peered to the side, a hand reached out to brush her face, something she'd shudder at if she had the ability to.

" **I went to a great deal of trouble to spite that man's ambitions. His desire for the Holy Grail, and that damned incarnated Servant of his would've brought ruin and an early Armageddon to this planet. If he hadn't taken your place, I'm sure the conflict would have ended on a much more desirably natural course; then again, perhaps it wouldn't,** " He spoke, his voice now a throbbing whisper that reverberated in the air, his breath like cold vapor against her stilled face. " **I know I'm not making much sense, but you see, I believe you can help bring a concise end to this war so I may achieve my objective. After all, without someone with such single minded tenacity, I'm sure this conflict would be in disarray. So, despite you inconveniencing me, I'll let you go, but I'll be taking a Command Seal for bothering me. You understand, of course?** "

A distant twang was heard followed up with a high pitched whistling that streaked across the rain-filled air, twirling around within the course that was the space to the left of Iron Black. As if he sensed its approach, he maneuvered just enough that it grazed the forward parts of his hood, the arrowhead impacting a space nearby and caused a sizable explosion that rocked the street grounds in a flash of heat and smoke. Turning to look where the arrow came from, he was befuddled that the Servant responsible was hidden from his view.

" **Annoyance** ," He sneered, his haunting eyes narrowing to slits. " **I'll make sure to teach you a lesson you miserable-** "

The sudden gust of wind came with a slick squelch of blood. Turning to look at his stump of a hand that fell down, the magic circle bereft and its hold on Bazett ceasing. Just in turning to look at the Fraga Magus he'd see her rune-glowing right fist smash straight into his face, exploding his skull in a shower of viscous material. The rest of the body slumped over, oozing black colored ichor as the alleged blood stained the ground like ink and death. His voice, however, still permeated the ooze as it began evaporating into noxious fumes.

" **It seems your Servant found an opening. Wise, though you may not want to stick around. That Archer may find you a good prize if you allow him the chance,** " The voice warned, following a guttural chuckle that vanished into the ether it came from.

"That was a close one," Came a voice and a clink of a sword clicking the lock of the sheathe back into place. "I think I just prevented something nasty. Do you know him?"

Bazett didn't say anything, just staring at the evaporating substance that was Iron Black. Her expression remained mortified and she took heavy breaths out of anxiousness. Her eyes remained dilated and she looked rigid in place, unable to stop the shaking of her arms and legs. Even as rain kept sliding down her hair over her face, sweat ebbed coldly from her scalp down her neck, making her shiver in place.

"Master?" The figure inquired again, the shrouded figure inclining his head to the side. "You don't look well."

The glazed look in her eyes was replaced with indignation, turning to snarl at the Heroic Spirit with a bite to her voice, "I'm fine!"

"Obviously, since you've never broke that stoic mask until now," He replied wryly, raising a brow curiously at her. "Completely natural for you."

"Assassin, I liked you better when you were quiet and concealed," She snapped, hoisting the silver tubed canister properly over her shoulder as she attempted to walk past him. His hand was raised up, impeding her, making her scowl and turn to look at him vindictively.

"Iron Black. That's what he called himself to you," The Servant stated, using his connection via senses to offset her anger to one of shame. "If you want us to win this war, I need details. How can I kill him? That obviously was a duplicate or some form of familiar that took his shape and abilities. Do you know anything at all?"

"Only that he's been an enigma and a prime target of both the Mage Association and the Church for the last fifty years," Bazett explained, looking at the smoldering crater where Archer's arrow had burrowed into the street and formed a hole into the sewer tunnel below. "He's been caught performing occultist activities on isolated villages or small town populaces stretching from Eastern Europe, down the Middle East to parts of North or South Africa and all across Asia. The strangest thing is that no ritual was exactly the same as the last. Some were Alchemy in nature whereas others were based on demonology. Whatever the case was, there was either a huge siphoning of mana at work or a ritualistic slaughtering of dozens to hundreds of people.

"Anytime the Church Enforcers or members of the Mage Association has caught up to him, he's either escaped without fail or murdered everyone on site. He's a dangerous man and no one has accurately documented his field of magical expertise," Raising her left arm, gripping the hand as if to test its authenticity after the five years she's had it, she grimaced and muttered aloud. "And given his control over the Second Magic, he must have a morbid amount of information about myself if not other people of interest in the Holy Grail War. It's frightening, to say the least."

"Sounds like someone who's lived for a lot longer than anyone can guess, meaning his magecraft could be beyond what modern thaumaturgy possesses," Assassin surmised, raising a hand up to brush his concealed face. "He could be hundreds of years old to have mastery of that magic. Perhaps he's sacrificed human lives while researching to prolong his own life?"

"Anything is possible in the realm of magic, for good or ill, it seems," Bazett generalized with a sigh, her eyes looking on into the dark horizon of the dimming storm. "We should go back to our FOB and go over what we've learned. Our strategy hasn't changed, we pinpoint the architect of the Holy Grail and analyze anyone loosely connected to it. We eliminate obstacles in our path and achieve victory during our investigation."

"And when we do find the architect?" Assassin inquired.

"Wait until the least amount of obstacles are in our path and eliminate the architect," She put simply, looking at her Heroic Spirit without wavering in her gaze. "Everything else is secondary."

"Which is why I shall serve you until the end, my Master," He bowed humbly. "Your mana, your authority and your goal are all straightforward without a hint of ulterior aims. I respect that, for I have no true wish this makeshift grail can offer me."

"Then we resume our business after I've rested," She implored, now walking calmly, letting her Servant trail behind. "I think I've earned it, given what I've seen tonight."

"No arguments here," He chuckled, returning to his mana form in a flicker of blue dust and light.

* * *

 **A/N** : Alright, another chapter for the story! Hopefully the reveal (or at least, a small explanation) to what happened to Bazett and the man responsible lends credence to her survival. A strong menace enters the field, the Magus known as Iron Black! With Lancer and Saber joining forces together with Rin, Shirou and Silver, Archer and Kyrios acquiring more information while a distant Caster observes them all, Bazett and Assassin have a tough fight on their hands in order to achieve their true goal and victory in this Holy Grail War. That being said, I had fun writing this and I'm glad you've all accepted Rider's identity being Thor, the actual HALF-AEsir and half giant (something I'm glad someone pointed out in PM's).

Until the next time, here's some replies to Reviews!

* * *

: Well that's good, cause I had already written the previous chapter with that whole action set piece in mind XP I'd hate to have to rethink it if I had to swap out a whole other character. Also Morgan la Fey is someone who is akin to a goddess but has (in Arthurian Tales) is more or less just a powerful water spirit or Fey. In any case, I make no distinct promise that's who Caster IS, just that's a good possibility. I won't spoil who Assassin or Berserker is, and I will say that by technical terms this is an Apocrypha, but I'm not wholly styling it off the "Fate Apocrypha" storyline that was made. Thanks for the Review, regardless ^^

 **SentinalSlice** : Oh good, don't need to worry about that XD I'm trying to make this Shirou a pretty seasoned warrior. His fight with Gil and Archer Emiya in UBW has sharpened his senses and ability to wield his specific magicks with far more proficiency than his Stay Night counterpart. I'll make sure to give him more ample opportunities to shine; that and Rin, who has her own bag of tricks to unveil. I won't say just how powerful Shirou is (suspense and all that; I think I've said this before o3o) but since this is an Adult Shirou whose walked the path akin to Archer Emiya but in his own way and he's got a much more developed batch of Magic Circuits, he's probably one of the most physically adept mages in the world. He's unorthodox so he can't really be measured by the cream of the crop like Rin is a part of who is just a premium Magus at this point. Thanks for the feedback anyways! PM me for more info so I don't spoil any potential readers, haha!

 **mg1147** : Thanks for the Review and the acceptance of my Thor Odinson as Rider. As much as I like doing my own thing, it's always nice having a little approval :P In any case, I won't reveal who Berserker is but I like how you're thinking. It's good ideas, really. Also Saber is pretty much in his prime, regardless of Cleetus lifestyle he's still a legitimate mage so he's not taking detriments. I won't say what his Noble Phantasm(s) are, but he's definitely going to be a force to be reckoned with. Also, unless my story calls for it, there is no such thing as a "Invincible Character". Rider is strong, yes, but he has his weaknesses and isn't as skilled on the ground as Lancer is but in the sky he reigns supreme. There's a field of advantage for each Servant and depending on how they use their powers (or how good their Masters are) they can overwhelm seemingly unstoppable opponents. You'll see what I mean in the coming chapters; thanks for the Review ^^

 **Hugh_Quacktron** : Thanks, I'm glad you and the others addressed that XD even though I was going to use him anyways, still happy that it works out in a legitimate way ;P

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And with that, I'll cya all later!


	6. VI - A Righteous Heart

The rest of the night was uneventful. It was strange to think that idleness was actually welcoming after they've arrived and stayed the day in this foreign land. Rin was thankful that, despite a foolish decision being made -multiple if she counted what transpired earlier- they came out of it in one piece. Lancer's wounds healed after a hearty rest she gave her, staying in bed a bit later in the morning much to her husband's chagrin. Saber had kept watch, just as he promised and swore nothing had set him off during their rest. Cleetus himself had set up some unique charms that were rigged with what she assumed were conventional explosives; infused with mana, no less.

This man, Cleetus Silver, is someone she had heard in passing among the Clocktower. Despite being associated with them, the Mage Association despised his uncouth mannerisms and the unorthodox procedure of dealing with ordeals that they assigned him to do. Regardless of any efficiency he had, they always spoke with disdain and she couldn't help but agree with them to a point. As a Magus, he operated in loathsome tactics that ranged from barbaric and obscene; not to mention he could barely hold a coherent dialogue with anyone of the same cloth.

Still, the moment they opened their doors to him, he seemed quite the jovial type. When it wasn't business related he'd break out a banjo and begin strumming, singing and whistling to an old tune native to where he hailed from. She left him largely alone if only for the fact she believed he didn't like her at all. That feeling was mutual, no matter how 'charming' he may seem to her husband. With everyone seeming to get to know one another over some lunch, she kept a still gaze at the man, watching his mess of brown hair ruffle with his movement as he devoured the cooking Shirou made with his pressure cooker he took with them on their trip. Saber spoke logistics and the like with Lancer, Shirou occasionally piping in as he feasted next to his silent wife.

"Tohsaka?" Shirou addressed her formally, making her eyes only slightly turn in his direction. Smiling nervously, he gestured with his chopsticks at her, "You've been...kind of quiet for awhile. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, Emiya," She retorted, shoving food into her mouth indignantly and chilling the air several degrees with the stare she gave everyone. "I'm more concerned with how we can co-opt our strategy with such a shady character in our midst."

"Tohsaka, I thought we already agreed-"

"It doesn't mean I'm wrong, or that I have to like it, right?" She interrupted sharply, making Shirou flinch visibly at her stinging remark. Placing her chopsticks down, she looked over at the man, his handlebar mustache swiveling as he still had noodles hanging from his mouth as his cobalt eyes looked at her pristine sky orbs without flinching. Slurping loudly, she grimaced and slammed a palm on the table with annoyance. "Will you stop that?!"

"Ma'am, I don't mighty like tat' tone of yers," Cleetus replied, reaching up and brushing his face with a napkin, balling it up and tossing it onto his plate. "Are all yer Clocktower types tis' abrasive or are ya' ta' exception?"

"Look who's talking!" She exclaimed, jabbing a finger at him with molten ire. "You've been staring daggers at me ever since you've approached us! What did I ever do to you?! You should be kissing the ground I walk on that I let you into our group!"

"I clearly recall bein' against tat' idea, ma'am," He snorted, leaning back from his seat, adjacent to his Servant whom sat perpendicular to Lancer as Rin was across from him with Shirou sitting to her right. "Look, I ain't an ordinary mage type like you Clocktower stiffs. You pay good, so I stick in yer club. No problems, until they start brandin' me a coward, a miscrean' and a murderer; none of which I ain't!"

"I've read your file, Silver," Rin replied, her eyes narrowing at him, seeing a brow raise at that statement. "It said you were an anomaly among the Mage Association, put simply, was a hazard left unchecked and a menace if unmonitored. You often leave the places you 'cleanse' trailing in blood, if not in absolute ruin. Your practices are an abomination to the art of Magecraft and your attitude is simply akin to a typical bounty hunter; a mercenary with little to no moral code."

"You callin' me a merc, missy, and we're goin' ta' have problems," He sneered, leaning forward with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Go ahead. I'm sure you'll make it easy for me," She replied back with a hungry grin that looked nothing short of animostic.

"Enough!" Lancer's voice cut in, bringing Rin's aggravated mood to a still and Cleetus affront to the authority that rung in the spirit. "We've already reached an agreement. It's alright to air out your grievances, but threats are another matter. If you talk like that, then there is no point to this alliance."

"Lancer, are you seriously taking his side?!" Rin began to cry out, only for the Servant to raise her hand, cutting her off before she could speak further.

"Master, you should know the power of your words over me," She began, solemnly addressing her with a stoicism that beset the seriousness brewing in her voice. "Should you command it, I would attack him without provocation to me. However, your infantile squabbling doesn't befit someone of your status and your maturity, does it?"

"N-No," She stuttered out, adjusting a bang as she looked away in shame.

"Tat's what you get!" Cleetus barked out, only to hear Saber clear his throat and glare at him into submission.

"Master, I suggest we put past personal issues and work together. This is a matter of life and death, this Grail War," He explained, getting agreement from Shirou and Rin, with Lancer nodding with affirmation and Cleetus huffing with acknowledgement. "We cannot afford to grow feelings of discontent or bitterness with ourselves. There are enemies at play that would use that to prey on our insecurities and weaknesses, turning us in a path that we shouldn't tread. Worse, they have us ally with them instead and betray the trust we've paved for each other. Do not let them get that upperhand."

"Well spoken, Saber," Lancer replied with an approving smile.

"On that note," Shirou turned to look at Rin and the others with concern on his face. "Did any of you feel that weird mana when we were heading back?"

"Aye," Artoria replied, with Rin confusedly acknowledging it as well.

"Its prana belonged to a powerful Magus," Saber recalled, Cleetus making a strange expression as his Servant gestured with emphasis. "She had burgundy hair and dark red eyes, wore dark gloves and a grey suit with a silver cannister of some kind slung over one shoulder. She fought us with her bare hands, contending with the likes of a prime Heroic Spirit-"

"Does she use runes?" The Tohsaka Magus asked seriously.

"Yes," The Servant replied, raising a brow curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"So, you did run into her," Rin vaguely stated, biting her lower lip and turning away, cupping her mouth with a hand as she pensively stared at the table. After a few seconds of awkward silence passed, she turned to look at all of them with an authoritative countenance. "You survived a run-in encounter with the Mage Association's Top Enforcer, Bazett Fraga McRemitz. She comes from a long line of devoted followers of the old gods, hence why her magic is so strong."

"It would make sense how a mage of her caliber exists then," The Heroic Spirit nodded with agreement.

"Funnily enough, she was supposed to be in the previous Grail War, but that bastard Kirei allegedly killed her and disposed of her body," She spat, licking her lips as she exchanged glances with all of them as she folded her hands on the table. "But five years ago, she was discovered alive and well, as if nothing of the sort happened despite evidence to the contrary. The validity of her death was put into question, so it seems, and she was reinstated into active duty not long ago. I just didn't think that she'd enter into this war as a Master!"

"Did you see her Servant?" Lancer asked with a straightforward stare at Saber.

"No, your battle had just begun and she looked distracted, withdrawing without saying a word," He answered with a shake of the head.

"She did look like she was usin' some mind-magic, tho," Cleetus affirmed, stroking his mustache as he caught everyone's eyes. "She was makin' weird expressions as if she was hearin' something tat' we weren't. She probably was in touch wit' tat' spirit of hers."

"It'd make sense," Saber proffered with a emphasizing wave of his hand. "The bond between Master and Servant through Command Seals allows us to speak telepathically without the need of casting a spell. A skilled practitioner of the Mystic Eye could even link one's senses through the other, effectively seeing what each other is through concentration."

"Huh, that's handy," Shirou quipped with owlish blink of his eyes.

"Especially if your Servant is someone who can discreetly hide themselves so they can spy on others with their enhanced senses that mages don't possess," Rin included, raising a finger up as she educated her husband and explained to the amateur Master, Cleetus. "Archer and Assassin are especially good classes to use this tactic as they get bonuses in feats revolving around concealment and camouflage. However, unless you just want to watch your Servant fight, the ability is a bit more of a magnifying glass that can theoretically be traced by a skilled Magus."

"Yeah, but that wasn't the odd thing I felt," The red-haired mage mentioned, getting odd looks from Rin and Saber. "I felt that mana after our fight was done, right? It felt like that mana was being...I dunno...squeezed by another immensely stronger mana, if that makes any sense."

"That certainly sounds ominous," Rin intoned with a serious glint in her eyes, cupping her cheek as she contemplated. "Bazett is a cream of the crop Magus, hailing from a dutiful family much like mine. Despite their influence and wealth not being in competition with the Three Families, they are highly respected and revered by the Mage Association. If we were to face off in purely mage terms, she'd more than likely overpower us with ease. One on one she'd be unstoppable."

"Then that means," Lancer began to say, her eyes looking wary over to Saber who came to the same conclusion. "That another presence greater than someone on par with a Heroic Spirit was able to easily pressure her, must be a monster itself."

* * *

 **F-A-T-E M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K**

 **VI**

 **A Righteous Heart**

* * *

Maxim Grand knew this job wouldn't be easy. His life had been fraught with peril at a young age, when he took up the mantle of warrior for God. From the tropics to the tundras and even the far-off wastelands no man has named. He spread gospel, cared for the needy and sick, if need be he'd also draw his sword and protect those under his charge. The Church -colloquially misrepresented as the greater Christian Faith- had sought him out for his specific talents in using magical talent imbued with his connection to his faith. This organization that dealt with unsavory things that crawled and lurked in the cover of ignorance and shadow, had empowered these enforcers to do the work many wished to keep clean of.

Such was his role, until he retired from that way of life and opened up a chapel here as a missionary here in Chennai. It was one of the few places that was permissible in this largely Hindu worshiping nation, with a dim presence of Christ among them. He had a peace of mind, knowing he didn't need to bloody his hands here. Obtaining a small following, he gave thanks daily for the isolation from The Church's overwhelming shadow that cast upon his life. It didn't dawn on him that he'd eventually be chosen to be an Overseer.

Or permit a certain someone from taking refuge beneath his feet.

Sighing, he felt himself in for a world of pain. He had to explain to his superiors that the collateral damage wasn't things going out of control but contact with two absurdly powerful Servants. It helped that the storm disguised the battle, as the locals can either believe superstitious things or make up their own truths without suspecting actual magic at work. The lost of lives and ruined structures didn't go unnoticed as a government effort was made to seal of the streets and deal with the debris that remained in the fighting of the city. He can only imagine what living Hell could be invoked the next time a clash of such magnitude was unleashed.

"Father Grand," A voice echoed from a door bordering the pulpit, small and meek, giving him all the information he needed to know whom spoke.

"Young lady, you know our arrangement," He chided her in a tone that wasn't amused, his eyes not lifting from the scripture he read from his hand. "Do you know how much trouble would be had if someone entered while you were still standing here?"

"It won't be long," She replied faintly.

Sighing, he looked from the pulpit over at the source. It was a young woman in black, whose raven hair and pale skin stood out phenomenally even in such dimly lit interior such as the chapel. Her eyes looked up hesitantly, while her gloved hands remained at her sides. She looked as if she had something to say so he didn't say a word, just maintaining eye contact with her.

"I need to go out," She finally said.

"Out of the question," Maxim turned back to his passage, purposefully giving her the cold shoulder as he read with a furrowed brow. "Given what happened just last night, to have you wander out on your own is just asking for trouble. Please, for your safety, remain in the cellar."

"You do know that I'm a Master, right?" She asked, her eyes staring hard at his rigid face. "I can do whatever I please, you know?"

"That didn't stop you for taking advantage of my hospitality and using the House of God as your own headquarters," He replied stiffly, though he didn't raise his voice due to the sensitivity of the topic. He had no idea just how closely the girl's Servant was listening. For all he knew, she could be nearby and he wouldn't have a clue; such an eerie woman for a Heroic Spirit. "I understand if you want to get a feel for the lay of the land, or even sight-see, but I feel your presence would cause undue duress. There are powerful players at hand that would like nothing better than to string you up and fillet you if you're caught on your own."

"Caster will watch over me," She insisted. "I've done this thing before, you know?"

"Yet, here you are," He turned, staring dispassionately at her pleading expression. "Unless I can get some sort of assurance you won't be seen or cause trouble, I can't help you. You'll have to find another place to scheme and plot."

She gave off a bit of a pouting frown before she sank into a sullen expression. Her eyes dropped and a tug at the vulnerable priest's heart was had. Closing his eyes, he gave off a loud sigh, closing his scriptures and laying it on the flat of the pulpit. Walking away, he raised a finger for her to wait as he silently walked into the opposing room bordering the preacher's platform. Opening the door he lit a candle and drifted through the dark confines of his living space, producing a key he hid away into a closeted space; there he shuffled through old clothes, materials and such from his past life towards a chest where he kept some more sensitive objects. Unlocking it, he briefly spoke a prayer before retrieving the desired item and locked everything back up before blowing out the candle.

With a measured stride as he walked with no cane in hand, he presented a black folded cloth before her. She stared at it quizzically until the priest frowned, grunting that she take it. Grasping it, she unfolded it and saw it was a hooded cloak; made for a much larger person than herself. Looking up with understandable confusion, the man stoically stared down and explained.

"This is a cloak I used during my more distasteful work for The Church," He informed her, gracing a finger across the fabric as he looked upon it with a measured sense of vagueness. "It is a blessed item capable of hiding yourself so long as it remains unfettered on your temple. Wearing this will block out your prana far greater than any spell. Take heed that the moment you invoke magic or make physical contact with another adept being, you will lose your ability to blend into your surroundings. Normal people will not notice the oddity of it and those of magical clarity will disregard you of being any threat unless they know you in particular."

She marveled at the cloak, brushing her face into it and smelled a very old scent from within. She had suspected odors of blood or filth to be on its fabric but it instead smelled something akin to wine and fine-smelling oils. Smiling, she fastened it around her collar, letting it cover her whole body with the hood bundling her long hair back.

"Keep this on you the whole time," He ordered her, cane suddenly in hand, clacking down to get her eyes to look at him. "And promise me you'll not start anything or get caught."

Looking cautiously at him, she swallowed hard before nodding, ushering out a faint, "Yes sir, I promise."

Smiling halfway, he ruffled her head past the hood, making the young girl blush with embarrassment, "That's more like it. Now, off you go, before I change my mind."

Nodding ecstatically, she walked quickly -taking care to not run in the chapel with the priest present- towards the large doors. Opening them, she took a brief look over her shoulder, making a contraction of the face that the priest swore was a smile before rushing out and closing the entrance behind her. The silence left behind was filled by him exhaling a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"She's such an endearing young woman," A buttery soft voice ebbed from the open door to the cellar of the chapel the girl had come from. Turning to look over with a measured glare he was, once again, taken aback by the owner's beauty. A crown of vines and beautiful flowers adorned her head, flowing hair stretched down her shoulders and back to nearly touch the chapel flooring. Light blue eyes danced in the dim lighting of the House of God, her body dressed in white silk bordering with golden highlights, beautiful gemstones of amethyst, cobalt and sapphire rested in a telling pattern held by an embroidered chained necklace covered her ample bosom.

He was possessed by her beauty of bewitching quality, divine and enrapturing to his gaze. However it was only for a moment, his instinct dredging him back to reality and his glare returned to her amused grin plastered over her face. His face flushed as he turned away, gripping his cane with indignation in equal measure to his stern voice, "She should know better than to stress our delicate arrangement. Still, I can sense the purity in her, and the wish she dared to share with me in this place of secrecy," Turning with a hard stare aimed at her, he sneered aloud with an audible growl. "Why she summoned you of all people baffles me."

"Are you saying there's no purity in me, because of the stories?" The woman chuckled, coyly grinning as she swayed from side to side with arms placed behind her back. Gliding through the distance between them, she arched her back into a bowing motion, her face leaning up to smile at him with a half-lidded gaze. Sensing her teasing him, the priest grimaced and flustered at her close proximity, his grip on his cane becoming almost audible to her ears. Purring, she slid her fabric and jewel covered bosom up the side of his arm till it pressed sensually around his shoulder, speaking in a low drawl up at him. "What's the matter, oh priest? Are you intimidated by me? Do you despise me?"

"In the manner you both approached me, attempted to deceive me, I should be furious," He admitted, his face remained turned and his voice kept poised with self control. His grimace gave way to a resigned sigh as he loosened his grip slightly on his stick, exhaling as he looked at the door the young woman exited. "But, despite being cornered, she had a tenacious insistence that she had to remain hidden in here. I don't know what terror she fled to enter in such a gruesome affair like the Holy Grail War but she must be in a desperate bind to attempt to undermine the rules so blatantly."

"So, even though we're rule breakers, you yourself made yourself an illicit accomplice for her sake?" She inquired in an airy voice that belied her prying choice of words.

"I am a man of the cloth second, a killer third, but first and foremost I am a man of God. It is by His Word that I never turn away a child in need," He finished, his face stoic but a smile emerged as he quoted scripture to the Heroic Spirit's face. "Matthew 19:14, ' _Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these_.'"

At first, her crystal blue eyes fluttered with surprise, her mouth open with awe. Then, she snickered and swung her arms around his neck, breaking his concentration and pulling him a hair's breadth from her face; her lips caressing the outer part of his as she spoke to him, "You are a bad priest, Maxim Grand, but you are indeed one with a righteous heart. Perhaps I shall let you remain as you are because such a quality intrigues and amuses me. For now, that is."

As her lips captured him in a longing kiss, the sensation of a blade brushing the side of her neck was felt by the Servant. Sensing no ill intent from him she knew that the moment he had drawn the sword was a means of testing her reflexes and to demonstrate his limits. Still, she enjoyed the intimacy if only that it riled him up something fierce and that she also found a man's touch enjoyable; even if it wasn't his supreme wish.

Separating with a pop, she sidelong glanced at the blade held at her neck, giving him an oblong stare. His eyes held a mystery of intent, crossing the boundaries of both independence and desire. She had half expected him to reveal his true colors through this interaction yet he was reserved and came across as someone who was both honest and secretive. While he showed his anger in a provocative way, to demonstrate his authority in this holy place, she couldn't fathom why he didn't look like he truly disliked her.

In a smooth motion Caster briefly saw as a blur of blessed steel, the unmoved erect cane was sheathed back into a click of wood and metal. Hanging onto him, she tugged at his person, maintaining a factitious grin on her face. He frowned, which only furthered her pull on the rigid statue of a priest. After a few more pulls he sighed and let her sweep him off his feet, her touch making him feel weightless as they danced in the air towards the entrance they used as the pair's secret lair.

"What do you want to show me, Caster?" Maxim groaned, entertaining the spirit's folly as he was taken in a bizarre aerial dance down the stairwell lit by a passing torch hither and tither.

"Why do you want to know? Don't you enjoy my company?" She asked, teasingly grinning at his impatient expression that was briefly illuminated by reddish-gold light of a torch.

"I'd enjoy it more if you didn't invade my home and place of sanctuary so deliberately," He briskly chastised her, his blonde hair flowing in the dank air of the approaching cellar, his green eyes seeing that the approaching cellar door opened on a whim. Coasting across the paved stone flooring, she eventually dropped back to the ground, and allowed him to stand upright. With cane in hand, he warily stared at her as she dropped to the floor on her floral-circlet bare feet, grinning at him with blue eyes that were enhanced by the dark of the chapel's basement. Tilting his head, he gestured to the various boxes and crates left in organized piles since the last time he was down here, inquiring with an impatient, "What?"

"We've been here for a week, I just thought that I wanted to let you know the fruits of my diligent labor," She sang out, curling her finger in a come hither manner as she lifted off the floor and glided effortlessly inches off it towards a single inconspicuous door. It wasn't framed in any way that made it seem important, with the torches that lit up parts of the cellar showing the storage containers instead of this apparent form of exit. As he clanked his cane against the ground, walking noisily across the stone floor, she squealed aloud with girlish delight.

The door swung open without gesture, allowing her to float in with Maxim grimly following. She hummed an odd melody as she coasted through what looked like an arched, narrow hallway that seemed to go nowhere. In actuality, the priest knew what this tunnel was for. In the past this chapel which he used was a place where those who wished to keep their entry into the House of the Lord a secret were ferreted to and from this underground corridor. The place that this led to, as evident by a few crossroad turns here and there, were destinations that could be accessed remotely in secretive places all across Chennai. During a time when the congregation was smaller and uses for the seemingly unscrupulous place of worship was used as a base of operations meant to deal with unsettling things lurking in the dark.

Irony was not lost on the priest as a character out of myth and mystical lore was a seemingly insidious being by her conniving nature. Had he not been through excruciating rigors and refined both his spirit and mind to resist such lures, he would've fallen under her spell in a single glance; such was her Mystic Face ability, emblazoned from the face down that can catch anyone both wary and ignorant by complete surprise, falling under her spell. Beyond the myriad of abilities both known and unknown, her cunning and deceitful methods are regarded by the modern era as distasteful at best and abhorred at worst.

Yet he took her in, all because he saw an honest imploring face of the child who was her Master.

After traveling for a bit, Maxim found himself smelling something foul up ahead. As his face contorted, the disgust welling up inside him only holding back convulsions due to a trained resistance and tolerance to such things, led his eyes to look up at the long-haired woman's back that was turned to him. Humming ever-still, she glided over the floor till they reached another archaic door, opening upon her wordless beckoning and she skated through on one foot gracefully before twisting around in presentation to the priest who entered the room far slower than she.

Widening eyes stared appalled at what once was a deteriorating room of worship for those practicing Hinduism was now emaciated and covered with frozen tubes held adjacent to what were idols and faces of the plethora of deities poised for respect. There were silhouettes of bodies within them and from his count there were dozens that lined up in irregular patterns all the way up to the ceiling with composited of crystalline shapes numbering up to six hanging upside down; with a magic circle of iconography mimicking that of a dragon's head spewing fire upward.

"What do you think? Be truthful," She insisted, her face turned and her appearance changed in an instant. Now adorned with a black veil, obscuring her face just enough that only her blue eyes glowed ominously past them in a hungry manner, ribbons of the veil caressing her shoulders at her sides in long strands. Her necklace was gone, revealing a blood-branded tattoo of a dragon in between and on top of her breasts, trailing down to an exposed opening of her now ebony colored dress with azure outlines. A crown of black rested over her head, the tips of jagged spikes having a blue hue both protruding stubs at five points and upward in different spaced patterns.

"I think its a fitting Temple for you, Caster," The priest replied in a muted tone, turning to look stonily at her with a tight grip resuming on his cane's head once again. "And that form is far more fitting for your true nature, Witch Queen of Camelot."

"Oh please, I rather you address me by name since we're so familiar with one another," She enticed with a curling raise of her right hand's fingers, placing the other splayed over her ample marked bosom with a chuckle. "Morgan la Fay rolls off the tongue better, doesn't it?"

"I don't have the patience for your grandstanding, Morgan," He addressed her curtly, his eyes narrowing at her with seriousness burning in his emerald rings. "I'm sure you didn't just bring me here to show me your progress in heretical research. Was there a development in the war that I'm not informed of?"

"Beyond the fact that Rider is Thor Odinson and Lancer is my beloved Artoria Pendragon, the others are quite discreet in hiding their identities, even as I bore witness to their forms and movements," She confessed, trailing her left hand's fingers off her breast and letting it brush the silk of her gown over her hip while the outstretched hand gestured for dramatic emphasis. "I'm also certain that Assassin has a passive ability that disallows him from being seen by my magic altogether. Even as he spoke to his Master, I couldn't get a good read on him other than a vague silhouette. However, there is a name of this particular Magus that brings a level of concern that I chose to confide with someone of your status of mediator to be aware of.

"Does the name, Iron Black, mean anything to you?"

Maxim's eyes widened with alarm and his face paled. The memory of what he had found in those years brought to the forefront of his inner eye; mangled corpses, piles of bodies arranged in meticulous patterns and circles carved in blood burnt by ritualistic fire. It was just of one incident of many but the back of that man was as brief as the circle he cast, his mere presence vanishing just as quickly as he was found, leaving carnage and members of his cloth lying among the dead he trailed behind.

"I'd take that look on your face as a yes," She replied, though her voice had no humor from the way he heard it. Looking back at her, her face was hidden but the glow in her eyes gave a telling sign that she was serious in her discussion with him. "The flow of magic upon this Ley Line is strong here, in Chennai. It is likely due to the historical and mythical importance of this land's city that the grail was chosen to be constructed here. The man had been traveling through shadow, nothing unusual for a skilled mage even of a modern persuasion.

"However, it wasn't until the Master of Assassin -one Bazett Fraga McRemitz as I found out- was caught by his magic that I was given witness to a eloquently manifested magic circle that controlled space/time within her immediate area. Even as he was about to claim victory, Archer attempted to snipe him, but failed; leaving him open to Assassin to intervene, breaking the spell and giving the Fraga Magus all the instance she needed to defeat him. Though it was a doppelganger, this raises a dangerous precedent for anyone facing him in this war."

"That's an understatement," The priest scoffed, brushing away cold sweat that had built over his brow, holding his palm there as he stared at the floor with a pensive stare. "Iron Black is an infamous criminal by both The Church and the Mage Association, responsible for ritualistic manslaughter and murders of both side's numbers. It was agreed to, in any event he's spotted or found, that both factions work harmoniously without question by the heads of both colors of power. But in the last fifty years he's been known, not one instance has both sides been able to kill or capture him. If he's here now..."

"I knew this was an odd war since I was summoned," Caster commented, her smile returning beneath the veil as her eyes twinkled mischievously. "But to have an enemy such as this proves that I will not be bored senseless."

Counting his blessings that he had gave the young woman the cloak from earlier, he knew contacting The Church or the Mage Association during the second day of the Grail War would mark him for competence and possible conspiracy breaching terms of neutrality of being an Overseer. Plus, the evidence presented would have to use a Servant as testimony and even if believed, that would pressure him into an uncomfortable corner.

"The Lord works in mysterious ways," He bemused, looking up with a far more collected expression aimed at the Servant. "I thank you for sharing this with me. Now, beyond being a glorified referee of this _Ghost Deathathon_ , I've got my own work to take care of. Can you ensure to keep an eye on anyone approaching the Chapel for me?"

"Like that needed to be asked," She chuckled, tilting her head curiously. "Though, if I may be bold enough to inquire, where does that leave you?"

"I've put my days of unsavory tasks in the name of The Church behind me," He announced, turning to exit the transformed temple back to the tunnel he came from, a serious expression crossing his face as he left the Heroic Spirit behind. "But now, there's an unsavory man whom needs to be dealt with."

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 **A/N:** The hunt is on, now with the Overseer in pursuit of an old nemesis from the past. With Iron Black taking precedent, the illegal affair with providing sanctuary of the mysterious young Master and her Servant, Caster, the war is shaping up to be an insidious work by design. The band of Lancer and Saber combined with the unequally yolked Rin and Silver between Shirou, it's only a matter of time till the next battle rings for these champions of magic and valor!

An interesting chapter, to be sure, I hadn't the original intention of writing out the section with Father Grand and Caster (with the girl acting as an attention grabber) as long as I did but it just felt natural to pen it out to this point. Even the addition of Iron Black's name drop wasn't originally in the plan but I just improvised as I wrote. While nothing especially exciting happened, I hope I fulfilled some wishes in seeing the other Master/Servant combinations that this war had to offer. I promise to showcase Caster's Master more specifically in the next update, but for now, I'll leave it at that.

Now, to reply to Reviews!

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 **Hugh_Quacktron** : Ah I see. So in reality the 'no divine beings' can be loopholed if you can logic it out in a way that doesn't undermine the rule but moreover skirts around it. Since we're on that topic, I guess that means that, despite Morgan la Fay being akin to a goddess (especially in her older myths) she's more or less a Fay or part-Fay being who has a human father who is replaced by her adopted parent who doesn't treat her as equally as good ol' Artoria. In that way she's perfectly viable as a Servant (that is, how I interpret it anyways). Either way she still gets a high Divinity rank due to that link in Celtic/Britain mythology. Thanks for that insight and the review!

 **SentinalSlice** : A viable, interesting theory you have there. Can't confirm or deny it at this time but I do like your line of thinking. Very good and thanks for the Review!

: I find your lack of faith disturbing, haha! Well given I just name-dropped her in this chapter, I'm hoping this doesn't turn you off this story ;P In any case I like your ideas for Berserker but I got a pretty good idea whom I'm going to use that'll tie into India's Hindu history. Trust me, you won't be disappointed when it makes its debut ;) Thanks for the Review, as always, and hope to see another in the future!

 **AmethystPone** : Given how many ludicrously strong people have been named Masters or Servants (from Kirei Kotomine and Gilgamesh to freakin' Ruler-Class incarnated Servant Shirou Amakusa and Heracles the Nigh Unkillable Heroic Spirit) I don't think it's impossible for a character to have access to one True Magic to maintain his menace and destructive potential. Plus, Iron Black has a very specific goal that'll be unfolded the further in you are into the story. Just give me some good ol' faith and I'll reward you in how it pans out ;) Thanks for the Review as always!

 **mg1147** : Eye of the Mind is a pretty tricky ability to get a full grasp with (more or less used for narrative purposes or just for good marksmanship) but I'll find a way to incorporate it into Saber's repertoire meaningfully, so thanks for that info. I'm eager to see what you think of the interactions and the dilemma of this chapter's story, and I promise in the future I'll give you a very entertaining set of battles awaiting you in the future. After the earth-shattering Chennai took from Rider and Lancer, it's time to dial it back down and build up to the next encounter. Once I get a good feel, I'll plunge you all back into the thick of things so you'll be immersed in glorious Murder-Death-Kill once more! Thanks for the Review and looking forward to the next one :D

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And that's it, thanks for reading!


	7. VII - A Twist of Fate

Kyrios decided to survey independently from the rest of his trio. Upon a thought out plan upon reconvening with Archer after his investigation turned into a break-up conflict, they discovered that they were combating truly powerful mages in this Holy Grail War. Those they could identify was Rin Tohsaka, Shirou Emiya, Bazett Fraga McRemitz and the one in the hood had a number of theories but nothing concrete due to his concealed identity. They did conclude that no one saw them up close and – until further notice – they'd never travel together out in the open unless under disguise or the concealment of the night.

Thus, this led to the eccentric Magus to venture to the scene of the previous night's battle of Lancer and Rider. Part of his research was to collect some leftover Ether stirring within the strewn debris and the faint traces of mana from all of the previously identified combatants. Using the equipment back in their suite he could then conduct the maximum unit measurement of their mana, trace it more accurately when dispersed via prana, and more than likely find out where they're hiding when a battle has concluded.

In a Grail War, one must always find a safe place in the event one's Servant is injured or its stamina is spent, thus needing the Master to rest in order for the spirit to recharge their energy. If they could circumvent that recovery, it'd mean they were that much closer to total victory. It was only a matter of acquiring the energy himself-

He felt a distinct presence bump into him at that exact moment.

His eyes widened, his body tensed and the realization he was in broad daylight brought him instant conflict. If he reacted too quickly, that'd prompt civilians to interfere or be brought in. If he acted too slowly, he might be assassinated and that would be that.

Bringing himself to turn around and engage the magically fluent being; which he was met with surprise when he saw no one standing there that stood out. He blinked, perplexed, his body still coiled with readiness if anything should change in the next few moments. Looking around with senses primed, he tried detecting the energy he felt from before but felt nothing peculiar. Just as he returned to his natural direction did he see a curious thing.

A slender figure wearing an encompassing black hooded cloak. He first thought that it might have been the figure that Archer spoke about, but the build and shape was all wrong. Furrowing his brow, he knew that whatever fabric concealed the figure must have been hiding its presence. Pushing his way through the noon crowd of people of Chennai, he tailed the person from a distance, making sure he himself wasn't giving off any signals that it could detect. Even more suspect was that it was maneuvering in the exact cardinal direction he was going to, bending down briefly to observe an overlooked piece of debris that was sent flying from the scene. She was seemingly pocketing it, before she continued onwards.

" _Is this happenstance for an Alchemist? Is that why you need that flotsam, my tiny cloaked friend?_ " Kyrios guessed silently, keeping himself just close enough so it wouldn't disappear in the flow of bystanders but far enough away that he could conceal himself. While he was dressed far more customary of citizen garbs on the outside – a ceremonial cap covering the mark on his head to be less conspicuous – he deigned it proper that no one of the opposition see his likeness less they gain a memory and put the pieces together.

Seeing it rush off, the Elementalist cautiously followed, observing the figure make its way to the now caution-taped outlier of the main sidewalk and street landscape that was scarred from the many craters and cracks formed from the mages and spirits doing battle here. The path of destruction that was caused from Rider's cast-off of Lancer's form through many structures was currently under mandatory repair by the city with other groups volunteering to fix it up. Due to the element in question's scorching of earth, they assumed a freak of nature phenomena had been responsible; instead of the actual use of a weaponized ghost's ultimate power.

He saw the figure bent beneath the caution tape and avoid notice from Chennai's police and construction workers. He didn't think how someone so conspicuous could be not seen unless it had to do with the cloak's nature of make-up. Watching it kneel and press its palms against the ground, he felt a brief discharge of mana before it was once again silenced. He knew for a fact that a spell was being used, but he hadn't the faintest idea what kind due to no visual cues.

Just as quickly as the figure had knelt down, it rose up and then took off in a brisk sprint in a direction opposite of the carnage. Narrowing his eyes, the Magus followed, relaying his information to the others as he chose to put a ear-phone in his left ear and began to call his trusted assistant.

"Angelika, I think I found a potential Master that had surveyed the wreckage site. I need you to take samples for me instead-"

"Get Archer to do it," She snapped with an annoyed voice in his earpiece.

"Oh come on, Angelika! I'll buy you a nice dinner if you help me out instead," He tried to persuade her, hearing a groan on the other end.

"Why can't you just do what you're supposed to instead of pawning it off others?"

"It's because I'm following a conspicuously cloaked person who doesn't seem to draw any attention from anybody except people fluent in magic," He explained, training his eyes on the silhouette of the individual he was still tracking. "This is a lead, I know it! If I can find out where it is going, I can lay the groundwork of a preemptive strike when they least expect it."

"If it pays off, I suppose it has some merit," She snorts, the sound of her rustling together her essentials before leaving the suite. "Fine, I'll head down there now and be back in a couple hours."

"You're the best, Angelika!" He crowed, just before she hung up unceremoniously. Sighing, he pocketed the earpiece and continued his trek. "Sometimes I think that woman really does need a vacation. After this war, I suppose I'll give her a raise."

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 **F-A-T-E M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K**

 **VII**

 **A Twist of Fate**

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"Groceries for the group, scouting out the city and returning back with no incident. Shouldn't be too hard, I hope," Shirou postulated as he left the hotel his team were based in. While they could ask for the hotel's own limited gourmet food, he'd rather they become self reliant on natural resources. This also posed less of a risk in case they're tracked down and poison their food; so says Rin's paranoia, but it was still a valid concern in his eyes. With some money changed over ahead of time for their imminent trip, he headed out in his tailored red cloak, doing his best to not draw too much attention.

He shouldn't be, as long as he doesn't cast magic or is seen by an enemy within the crowds.

Daylight was a master's friend, after all. The unspoken rule kept the outbreak of a battle clear of whole suspicion on the contenders for this ancient ritual held in this city. Like Fuyuki, efforts made behind the scenes to subdue the public's knowledge of the fighting was muted and the media dealt with in a discreet manner. While he didn't approve of the backdoor dealings The Church or the Mage Association had made with governments to ensure their ulterior motives were fulfilled, it was in handy when he was thrust into such an ordeal himself.

Tempted to search the ruins for survivors or for any preying combatants looking for anyone who may return to the battlefield for magical reasons, Shirou kept to his original task. Going through the bustling masses to a grocer, he got what looked like decently priced goods to cook up for the next few days. Next he obtained materials for Rin and Cleetus for their own needs that suited their styles of magic casting and the like. Bagging the former wasn't a problem, and speaking with the citizens of Chennai was no difficulty due to his lengthy sojourning across the globe; picking up languages became second nature due to the nature of his wish to being a hero to humanity.

The latter, he searched more unorthodox means. While this city wasn't particularly akin to the western-like city Fuyuki was, he could tell the advancements and utilities made for commodities kept him stocked for what he wished to obtain. Cast iron, silver and some gold for Cleetus while precious gems and other base jewelry for Rin. Thankfully these items weren't hard to track down and he figured there was a means for his wife and new ally to put these items to good use. He himself purchased a set of knives and a compact set of pipes which he could easily affix to each other.

Checking the time, he figured it only took a couple hours of his day to get what he wanted and no sign of his other opponents.

"Stop," A soft voice called out, catching the fabric of his cloak with a firm tug that halted his movement. He was startled, having not sensed anyone in the slightest despite keeping his eyes peeled. The moment the voice and touch of his cloak was had he had felt a pulse of mana that ebbed in waves off this person. Turning around slowly, his eyes didn't see a tall form or an intimidating individual but a shrouded person that only came up to his waist. His amber eyes looked down and widened as a pair of dull golden eyes looked up with moisture accumulating within her orbs, traces of black bangs framing her quivering brow and her mouth opening in shivering shock as she mouthed the next few words. "Big brother...Shirou?"

His mind reeled in shock. His thoughts must have been playing tricks with him as he remembered only one person who had called him that. A flickering image flashed over the cloaked girl, a purple furred hat adorned on a silver-haired head with pale as snow skin and bright red eyes. The feeling was tangibly similar yet he never saw this young woman in his life. As confusion and recognition clouded his forethoughts, she herself looked up with what looked like disappointment as her hand drifted off his cloak as tears fell down her face.

"You're not him, are you?" She rhetorically asked, her expression becoming crestfallen and her demeanor sullen.

"You're not who? I've...never seen you before...have I?" He asked, almost dazed as people passed them by with only a few casting strange looks at the pair of foreigners. It was beyond bizarre to have someone such as this sneak on him and then confuse him for himself, but not. Yet, at the same time, he knew this girl reminded him of the master of Berserker from the previous Holy Grail War. He didn't think this was a coincidence since she sincerely mistook him by name without ever meeting him. "Who are you?"

"This is a mistake," She replied, almost coldly as she turned to walk away from him. "Of course you're not him."

"Hey!" He shouted, grasping her shoulder and bringing her to a start. Gritting her teeth, unpleasant memories surfaced; ones that involved pain, excruciating flashes of torture and the sight of the last person who cared about her disappearing before her eyes. Twisting around, she grabbed his wrist, pulling him around while thrusting her palm to strike his chest. He stopped her on an impulse, arms and legs Reinforced, rooting him in place and his free hand catching hers before pulse of magically cast wind blasted against his front; the result felt like a gut punch,. his feet bursting the ground beneath him and his cloak whipped around, leaving him standing but feeling the pain of a point blank spell.

"Ow!" He scowled, glaring with confusion and anger as he cast her arm aside to clutch at his bruised abdomen. "What was that for?!"

"Let go of me!" She cried out, drawing unfortunate attention from a good deal of people who had noticed the spell burst from earlier. Gritting his teeth, he scowled as he assessed his surroundings, trying to see if anything else stood out. There was a man, foreign also to this land, who looked away just as his eyes surveyed the area. He cast a knowing stare back as Shirou's eyes widened palpably as the girl in his grasp were spotted; they weren't safe here!

"Why won't you listen to me?!" The girl cried out again, trying desperately to wrench herself from his grasp on her shoulder. "I said let go-OH?!"

She felt herself suddenly swooped under arms and the red-haired Magus took off running, running opposite of the prying eyes that caught sight of them. Sure enough, just as he began moving he too was rushing pell-mell after the two, giving serious chase to them. Despite his own adept movement, he could see that he was faster than he appeared and easily kept pace, slowly gaining on them.

"Can't be helped," He thought, the confused girl's eyes widening and her face blushed at the tight grip he had against his broad chest. His legs ebbed a network pattern of veins as a cumulative branch of magic circuits were accessed through mental acuity and sharpened instinct. Coiling his appendages, he zoomed through the crowd, leaving bursts of air that unsettled pedestrians and left a trailing crimson blur in his wake. Maneuvering in and around the masses past vehicles, he looked around his environment and realized he was heading opposite of the hotel, meaning he was alone in this endeavor for escape.

Skidding to a stop, he made a barreling dive through a connection of alleys, each one giving him comfort that nobody could see him as well with the exception of wall leaning destitute or occasional natives casting bewildered glances at what they saw. A shuddering sound to a howling wind gave him a start as the pursuing form landed in an explosive impact just before him, forcing him to stop, shredding the heels of his Reinforced boots as his pursuer collected himself from his crouching stop.

"You're quick, I'll give you that much," The robed man of mustard yellow, grey and crimson apparel stood before him. With a black goatee, a sharp brow and bright eyes, this man had an air of confidence and intelligence behind him that put Shirou on alert. The fact he could catch up to him so quickly already proved he was a mage; worse, he looked none the worse from the accelerated drop he made, giving him an even tougher appearance than he put up. "But I'm afraid I can't let either of you escape. You, Master of Lancer or your little friend Magus friend."

" _Crap, he must have saw me with Rin and Lancer last night,_ " He realized, grimacing visibly with bared teeth as he held onto the girl in his arms close. " _The only good news is that hasn't recognized my connection to her is only through association. This girl is a mage, that much is clear, so he must have brushed up against her like I had. What should I do?_ "

Closing his eyes, he reopened them with a nervous grin, deciding to play along for the moment.

"I guess you must Rider's Master, then? Gotta say, I didn't strike someone as hasty as you to hide while you let your Servant fight for you. When did you grow your spine back? Is it because my Servant isn't around, or does attacking a child more your fancy?"

"As much as I'd love to verbally spar with you, I already know who you are, Shirou Emiya," The man admitted, causing Shirou's face visibly drop any form of cockiness he displayed. Smiling at this, he gestured to the girl with a nod, cocking his head to the side while remaining in place. "She's new, and from what I gather she isn't anyone I've acquired information on the previous night. Your lady friend may be Lancer's real Master, while you act as a bodyguard or a decoy, given how well that Servant performed against someone like Rider. Whatever the case may be, I can extract some vital intel from her, so why don't we avoid a needless struggle and just drop her here."

"Like Hell I'd do that!" Shirou snarled, his eyes flaring and his hair standing on end as his magic circuits came alive. Bending down, he leaped up to the side of the alley, bouncing himself from one flat surface to the other to vault over the man's head. Just as he moved to jump off an additional wall came an eruption of the mortar and brick, blasting him all the way into the other with a mighty crash, rolling down to the ground in a heap that he fortunately cradled the girl from.

"I really wish you didn't try that," The man spoke with a sigh, walking over to him with a hand coiling with crackling energy dancing around a faintly glowing brand on his hand. Electricity manifested in the air, snapping around in the shape of serpents, hollowed eyes staring at the pair as they sinuously flashed in and around space around the mage's arm. Pulling back till his hand was balled into a fist, the arm became incandescent with blue outlined white, he muttered a brief apology before thrusting his fist at their vicinity.

" _ **I Am The Bone Of My Sword!**_ "

The mage's eyes widened as a flash of purple manifested before the bolt of magic cast lightning, tendrils of high voltage spraying in multiple directions in the face of its defense. Several layers of this flower ornate barrier that resembled an ancient shield he swore he had read about before, projected nary half a foot away from a raised hand of Shirou Emiya's hand. He held the young girl under his other arm, looking stunned from this ongoing plight, as Shirou's cloaked form rippled about his muscular frame.

"Rho Arias!" Shirou intoned, dispersing it with a wave of his arm just in a blur of blue to project a blade of Bakuya in his right hand to slash at the Magus. He witnessed the man leap back with surprising agility, the wind lifting up with him as he twisted up into the air and twirled his arms around in methodical motions to coil the element around each. Thrusting both palms at him, a twister of air rend the surface of the alley's walls with it to impact Shirou's person. He threw the blade back at the airborne mage, with surprising boomeranging arc that avoided the wind funnel while forming Rho Arias once again to block the bludgeoning blast of Wind Magic sent his way.

"Ngh!" Shirou gritted his teeth, feeling his heels dig into the earth and the myriad of stone projectiles that pummeled it with the torrent of grinding air pressure. The first layer of this easier crafted imitation of the real article shattered, leaving two layers left that rattled but held on. Just as the man rushed at the barrier, slamming both feet into it with high velocity and momentum packed with the element entwined with his limbs; webs of fragmented light showed on the energy but coiled about frantically to repel the attacker.

All the while, the thrown Bakuya arced around in a frantic spin at the man, whom barely detected its returning spin.

"Whoa there!" He cried out playfully, dancing away from the blade as it passed through the dispersing barrier back into Shirou's hand. Skidding across the alley ground, he grinned with amusement, swinging his arms around to summon both the wind and earth around his opposing arms. In a dexterous spin, he fired the wind propelled debris at Shirou, watching him deftly dodge, deflect and avoid the majority of the projectiles sent his way; all while keeping the girl under his arm and away from it completely. "I'm impressed. To manage counterattack, defense and evasion all with polished coordination. Truly, there is a good reason for painting you with the dye of 'victor' for the previous grail war; even if you didn't truly gain anything of merit from it other than experience."

"And what's your gain from all of this?! What benefits from nonsensical slaughter and sacrifice of innocent lives?!" Shirou bellowed out with anger, holding his weapon out angrily while keeping Kanshou reverse gripped from the looped appendage that kept the girl close to him.

"You're honestly not that good of a Magus if you expect to not make sacrifices to gain something in return," He mused, his smile maintained as he raised his left hand up, charging it with an intense amount of electricity while his right hand formed a sphere of siphoning air. "I am seeking what is beyond obtaining mere strength. I want to establish my legacy into the annals of history texts that will be read in the far off future. I will reshape the world through my acquisition of the grail and never leave the world the same as it once was. That is my wish, to change it in a way that will not be for naught or leave me forgotten past my expiration; something I'm sure someone as shortsighted as you can never understand!"

In a streak of howling elemental fury, Shirou bore witness to a spiraling whirlwind of electrical power. Summoning his partially shattered Rho Arias once more, he found the second barrier shattered instantly and the last shield protecting them buffeting hard. The sleeve of his left arm began tearing off, sweat petering into the air and skin beginning to lacerate under the magical backlash of the straining shield. Feeling himself forced back along the ground of the eroding alley's asphalt, he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, his hazel eyes bulging wide.

" _This guy's strong! Even though Rho Arias was designed to stop thrown weapons, it's at less than full power because I'm holding onto her! If I could brace myself, I can-_ " He trailed off, sweat sloughing off his brow and cheeks as the howling wind pushed him back with the shuddering shield held up in front of him. The sword gripping hand held fast, his grimace turning to one of indignant stubbornness. Howling out loud, he wordlessly rejected the idea of letting seemingly paralyzed girl. " _I won't allow it! I'll never abandon someone within my sight, not when I have the strength to stand and fight!_ "

The sound of shattering glass came with the shockwave of the magic spell's blast. Pain enveloped his being, his left outstretched arm catching fire with flesh becoming scorched and coiling with twisting wind that broke it in several places while it bore a similarity to a burnt piece of butchered meat. Stifling his outcry of agony, he twirled his body around tossing Kanshou at the Magus while regaining his footing as his wounded limb poured blood from the steaming, open wounds it obtained.

"I'm not enjoying this, but you're really leaving me no choice," The Mage replied with a somber expression, his forehead's brand flickering into a bright light that trailed beneath his robes and formed over his hands to his covered feet. With his Prana ebbing heavily, the air was summoned in a greater siphoning to the Elementalist than before, whipping his apparel around him and lifting him off the ground in fierce levitation. Electricity soon surged up with him, followed up with broken debris of the bordering buildings, moisture in the air becoming a twisting rope of liquid that rotated around him. Exhaling flames from his nostrils that became another dual ring of levitating primal might, he gestured about in readiness to bring an end to this fight. "I rather not maim you, so this will be a swift strike. You might be able to survive, if you let her go!"

"Like Hell I would-!"

A sudden slip was made in his hold of the black haired, pale skinned girl's cloak. Before his eyes he saw her run in a streak of midnight tresses, her dress flowing of similar hue with violet outlines in a beautiful make. Walking in simple slip-on shoes, she traced the air in a puff of mana and throttled up in a twirl of wind up towards the man. Pulling back an arm, a flare of white-blue around her coursed forward to arc to strike the man.

The Magus propelled backward nimbly, surprised at her aggression, but had been buffeted from the pressure of her attack. His opaque, pulsing pupiless white eyes widened at an enormous spectral arm given substance that resembled a gauntlet crafted of ancient times with an immense prana ebbing from it.

" _That's...a Heroic Spirit...no, its arm!_ " He realized silently, seeing the giant arm with veins of red interlined with scales of iron and steel, plated digits clenching tightly in the air with its shoulder disproportionately linked to her right quaint shoulder. Her eyes shined a bright gold, her teeth bared and the mana ebbing around her crackled with a monstrous quality that warped the very space around her.

"LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!" She shrieked, throttling across the air in a blur towards the enchanted Elementalist.

In an impulse, the mage lassoed the wind and earth debris to the enormous limb, dancing around her attack to avoid her strike. Tossing the ring of fire and water like chakrams, he watched with horror as the enormous fist contracted, twisting the elemental bonds off like string and twisted around to slap the flames and liquid of condensed Ether in a bright blast of raw mana. Such was a shockwave that it threw him across the air, forcing him to balance himself through sheer mental fortitude and be a sitting duck in her warpath.

" **Master! I feel your mana is unbalanced! What's going on?!** "

"Oh, Archer. Fancy hearing from you just now," He replied under his breath, his eyes warily watching the girl sneer visibly at him before launching at another corkscrewing thrust at him, swinging her behemoth limb around like a bludgeon that could easily brutalize his human form. " **I think I'll be taking a tactful retreat from this situation! Can you assist me?** "

" **This is what you get when you chase someone down alone, Master Kyrios,** " The Servant intoned, distantly propped onto a rooftop and already notching an arrow onto his bowstring. Inhaling deeply, he pulled back, eyes aglow with his high tier grand of Hawk Eye to register the point of prime attack. Then, with a exhale from his nostrils, he let loose the arrow and watched it become engulfed in a mantle of flames to make it streak like a comet across the sky.

Shirou was in the midst of being stunned by this power this familiar and strange girl was wielding. From his fathoming, it looked and felt like the properties of a Heroic Spirit's phantasmal being but over her own person. He had once heard of this magic was the same as what the Holy Grail wields to form the Seven Servants: the 3rd Magic, the Manifestation of the Soul. To see it done by any single person baffled him and enraptured him to the scene up above.

Then, the familiar ringing of a distant projectile engulfed in flames of the Sun came shrieking in their general vicinity. Just as he saw their enemy veer in a purposeful propulsion of wind away from the girl's strike, he saw comet-like arrow that had struck Rider's hammer. Eyes widened, his body poised, and he throttled upward in a gravity defying leap up to the airspace above the stretch of buildings that formed the corridor of alleys.

"RHO ARIAS!"

Everything became engulfed in a sea of light. A howling inferno spread out in an elliptical manner, the blast wave causing structures below to bowl over into smoldering ruin and the kinetic backlash howling out with the equivalence of powerful missile. In the swirling sphere of flames was a protected space, one existing from a now crumbling flower-ornamental spectral shield, disappearing into the hissing air as Shirou began to fall with his eyes heavy and his good arm steaming from the effort. Before he'd fall completely, a giant arm caught his torso in its grip, keeping him aloft and disconcerted in the floating girl's grip.

He craned his neck up and over to look at her, an expression of relief stretching over his face to see she wasn't hurt. She looked mad, but also sad; an expression he's seen people he cared about the most project all too familiarly. With a grimacing twist of her face, she trampolined off the airspace and dove towards a destination unknown to him. He hadn't the faintest idea what she was going to do with him, but he was just happy that he saved someone so mysteriously similar to someone he knew in the past.

" _Damn, Rin's going to be pissed...I think I dropped my bags of stuff when I picked up this girl...whose name I still don't know,_ " He mentally noted, his eyes closing as he drifted into unconsciousness. " _I hope she doesn't kill me for this..._ "

* * *

"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" Rin shrieked, earning nervous looks from passer-biers within her vicinity.

"Calm yourself, Master," Lancer spoke to her, her voice ebbing from the space nearby, hiding herself in mana form while she was out here in this exact spot they had traced his last known prana to have dispelled mana. The bags filled with bought groceries and items meant for her or Cleetus were abandoned in a hurry, right near where his shoe sized feet indented the ground. Silver and Saber went on ahead to follow the trail while Rin just fumed in place, having rushed here when she heard - and from the news on TV, saw - an explosion that wasn't far away with Shirou not answering his phone or detected nearby by Artoria's link to Avalon.

At the moment, until the American let them know, they had no leads as to what happened to Shirou other than an obvious scuffle with an enemy was had.

"It was stupid leaving him without a Servant to protect him," She hissed, pacing in place as she hugged her sides anxiously. "I know Shirou's strong, stronger than he deserves to be but this is the Holy Grail War. You can't just expect things to be alright when you're on your own! For crying out loud, this isn't even Fuyuki and he treats a walk down an unknown street as if it was no big deal. Just what is going through his head-?!"

A ringing sound was heard, cluing her in to Cleetus giving her a call. Bringing the phone from her coat's pocket, she placed it next to her face and growled lowly into the receiver, "You better have some good news for me!"

"Calm yer tits, woman!" Cleetus replied with a snort, his own hands brushing over the ground nearby the debris he had sorted through. "Ta' place reeks of mana 'ere. I reckon this 'ere man's alive and kickin', but he was in pretty bad shape by ta' mana I'm sensin'. He headed off in a western direction, but the trace kinda scatters from 'ere."

"Do you know anything else?! How does that help us?!"

"Master, that's a good start," Lancer encouraged her, her voice dictating honestly with confidence that made Rin stop short. "If I can get within a good enough range I should be able to track my connection to Shirou through Avalon bore inside of him."

"Am I hearin' a thanks yet?" Cleetus inquired cheekily through the audio.

"Fine! Thanks a lot," She growled out, clicking it off and began stomping in the direction appointed to her. She swore if it wasn't for the fact Lancer vouching for the other Servant she wouldn't have hesitated firing a good Gandr shot at his face. Such a repulsive attitude drove her mad, if almost as mad, as it did when Shirou acted recklessly.

" _Don't think you're off the hook yet, Shirou Emiya!_ " She thought with a furrowed brow. " _When I get my hands on you, I'm going to let you really have it_!"

Unknowingly, Rin passed by a hooded figure whose likeness was concealed by a cloak akin to the young woman Shirou had run across. He had a nervous expression at how close he had come to being seen as the angry woman stomped off. Things more than likely had gotten out of hand, and he swore it had something to do with the girl he let come out of hiding. Seething, he had to keep himself from going on a similar bout of tantrum for a child disobeying its elders.

Still, if he judged what they said, it sounded like whomever dragged him off was in far better condition. He prayed that the girl made it back safely and wasn't caught by any other lurking competitors. For now, he had to let things be and continue on his own mission. Raising a talisman he had found by the spot he found an evaporated pile of mana-like goo, he looked at it and continued hunting down any link of traces he found of the user. If Iron Black was hiding in the shadows, he'd use what he found to trace it.

" _I hope you don't run across this man, young lady,_ " He whispered under his breath, walking off discreetly in the opposite direction the Tohsaka master was going. " _Whatever your strength you have isn't a match of someone with such a high Sealing Order. A Philosopher type, he'll most assuredly toy with someone as little experience as yourself possess. Do the smart thing and hide from him; please._ "

* * *

It was strangely warm.

That was all Shirou could think as he felt any pain subside as his consciousness returned. He had the sense he was covered in something moist, much like a soothing heated bath and yet he was also weightless in his wet confines. His face constrained in effort, eyes opening to see his surroundings in a haze. Orange-red glows of torchlight illuminated an otherwise old and abandoned remains of a warehouse. Crates and the like were busted, eroding and forgotten by the original inhabitants, the current ones using it had an odd glow of transparent blue that was currently swirling around his form.

"Oh, he awakens," A soft, sultry voice caught his attention as he craned his head over to the source. Immediately his eyes widened, his gaze locked and felt himself be completely captivated by it. Crystalline emerald eyes shined like precious gems, a strong and supple face shaped perfectly with soft enticing lips smiling sensuously and long blonde hair overlapping her shoulders down past her back to the floor she knelt upon. Wearing a pure white dress and a beautiful jeweled necklace over the top of her revealing cleavage, her whole being was perfect in his mind but he couldn't fathom why.

A snap of her finger, and he felt himself blink, realizing he had been completely inert since looking at her face.

"As much as I'd love to play with you, my Master wouldn't really care for that," The Heroic Spirit spoke with a mischievous grin played upon her face.

"Where...am I?" He asked sluggishly, attempting to move but felt his movements constricted. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was floating in a flowing ovular shape of glowing water. The injuries he received from before were healed to a degree he thought impossible, with not even a sign of scarring that had been left in its place. The only thing he felt disconcerted about this was the fact he was completely bereft of his clothing, leaving him to flush hotly at the sight and cry out loud. "WHY AM I NAKED?!"

"Of all the things to ask, that's your second question?" She questioned with a roll of her eyes, looking a bit lopsided at the immaturity of this grown adult mage. Her hands were meticulously swerving akin to a person conducting music crossed with a magical surgeon, with far more deep scars and faded wounds in the man's body that were neglected or healed improperly decades' past. While she wouldn't tell him, she was mending the patchwork of magic circuits and regenerating new pathways to his nervous system so he wouldn't feel pain or possibly burn himself out so easily as before. It was her nature as a revered healer to do as such without being asked; but she wasn't one without requiring payment, and she had helped herself the moment his sorry state was brought to her by the weeping child. "First, I cannot tell you, for you are technically an enemy of mine in this grail war of ours. Secondly, I removed your clothing as they had specific resistance to Magecraft that would've made healing you properly impossible. If this is your work, I must say you're an excellent conjurer or seamstress."

"Uh...thanks?" Shirou replied hesitantly, letting himself look back at the ceiling. His eyes searched for the room's interior, catching the glance of the pale-skinned girl from before. Smiling, he strained out with sincerity. "And thank you. I was probably in bad shape, wasn't I?"

"That was stupid," She retorted bluntly, her eyes sharply glaring at him. "You're stupid. Protecting me almost got you killed, even though I'm an enemy let alone a stranger."

"Well, I'm not a very good mage, but I try to be a good person," He replied, not effected by the string of insults sent his way. Seeing her look away, he could tell that she didn't mean to say such things, but he could tell she was conflicted in how she felt. "How do you know my name? Have we met before?"

"Yes, and no," She replied vaguely.

"Can I ask your name?"

She stayed quiet. He didn't even need to guess how the Servant healing him would think about that. It probably took a lot of persuasion to convince a Heroic Spirit to heal an enemy master. Worse, it would've been advantageous of her to eliminate a weakened man like him on the spot but she risked leading his wife and their new allies to where they're located. He was a liability, yet they went through with it and he was being healed instead of being dealt with.

"I'll be done shortly," The Servant interceded, her voice gentle and patient as she kept her magic working over his body. "Consider yourself lucky that you have the once in a lifetime opportunity to feel my healing touch. Very few in my years as such have had the privilege of being healed so efficiently. If you could avoid telling anyone about this, I'd be most appreciative."

"Yes," He felt himself say simply, almost as if compelled to. While he knew this was a tenuous transaction of which he had no idea the price was, he didn't want to step on any toes here. Closing his eyes, he felt himself almost catch his words but decided to push past his own better judgement. "I owe you a lot, perhaps even my life. Even in such a war, I'll find a way to pay you back."

It was unexpected to hear, that he could tell from the sudden silence he got after saying such a thing. Then, a musical laugh was heard followed up with her leaning down next to his exposed face and whispering next to his bobbing ear, "I'll hold you to that, Shirou Emiya."

A playful kiss put upon his cheek made his face heat up even more than he thought possible. Turning away, he looked over to see the girl had approached him without making a sound. His eyes met hers as she squatted next to him, their faces a meter apart as she stoically observed him. Her hands gripped the hem of her skirt before she reached her own arms around his head and pulled him into a smothering hug. Surprised as he was, he allowed her to do as she wished, feeling her shake in the grip upon him before she whispered to him as well.

"It's Miyu," She replied, feeling tears already ebb from her eyes and down her face, dripping onto the floating ovular shape of healing liquid. "That's my name, it's Miyu."

"That's a pretty name, Miyu," He replied nicely, closing his eyes as he couldn't do anything else in his condition. "You don't owe me anything, by the way. You've done more than enough, and I hope you can keep safe for the remainder of the war."

Laughing a little between stifled sobs, she muttered aloud as she rubbed her face into his scalp, "You really are an idiot."

"Yeah. Yeah I am," He replied simply. "But, for this idiot's sake, can you try to keep yourself safe?"

After a few moments of silence, she nodded her head and squeezed his tightly.

As he was later released from the healing water, he was swiftly handed his tattered robs - something he had to fix when he got back - and shown an exit. After bidding farewell, Caster turned to the young Master and stared at her hard. The younger mage looked a bit ashamed at her before turning away, earning a sigh and a sentimental caress to the top of her head.

"You know your mission, I thought you were warned not to lend your heart out so easily, regardless of how alike he may be to your Shirou," The Servant implored the young woman.

"I couldn't help it. I just...felt hope that he'd find a way and...then..."

"He wouldn't risk your safety if he could follow you here so easily. After all, the ritual's power isn't to be trifled with, and this grail is no exception," The Heroic Spirit of Morgan le Fay warned her, bending down on her knees to look at the young woman with her hands on her shoulders. "Understand that what it will take to bring your Shirou to this world is nothing short of another miracle. There can be no shortcuts with this kind of task. Do not mistaken him for anything more than a copy of the one who sacrificed himself for your sake and the one you fought to save."

She quietly nodded, feeling weary from this whole ordeal. Even without these words said, she knew who it was and tried to disregard it. But the moment she was swept up in his protective arms she couldn't help but feel like she was back where she once was. The way he fought so hard and shielded her so much touched her heart. Grimacing, she felt the Servant embrace her in a hug that she readily returned back as tears flowed silently down her face, hiccuping quietly into her shoulder.

"I miss him so much," She said almost without being heard.

"After this war, you can see him again, and I'll do whatever I can in my power to see that it is done," She rubbed her back, withdrawing a single vial from her left hand of red liquid; the blood of the man she just mended back whole again. Grinning facetiously, she kept rubbing the girl's back as she continued to scheme in her mind as she kept cooing the girl to calmness once more. "Everything will be just fine, you'll see~."

* * *

 **A/N:** This was an unexpected kind of chapter. From what was originally going to be another segue into a possible conflict in the following chapter turned into character development and action. The idea that I made Kyrios into a Type Moon/Fate model of Adult Aang didn't come across to me until I realize the likeness of the Elementalist's brands and use of elemental magic. I basically ran with it as he fought Shirou, whom handicapped himself by holding onto a stunned Miyu under one arm. After mulling it over, I came up with the girl's own unique magic that she had learned years ago as a manifestation of the Third Magic, and given her origin, it is far more believable she can achieve it than any other run of the mill modern mage. It bears resemblance to the 'Cards' that Fate Kaleid uses but is more or less akin to Shirou's Projection magic but in a far more incorporeal given flesh kind of way. Hope that addresses everything that happened that seemed odd; also, yes, Morgan le Fay finally has Shirou's blood. Shenanigans can be underway and I'll let your imaginations run wild with that nugget of knowledge.

And now, time to answer Reviews!

 **miguelgiuliano_co** : Happy that I am that you can accept Morgan le Fay being a character in this story's setting, I won't be dialing her powers back in the slightest. She will be a powerful player in her own way, much like Medeve was a strong opponent in the original Fate Stay routes. I do appreciate all of your input and ideas for powers as they help me brainstorm for more ways for her to use her powers in a way that is both sensible and creative. The 'bisexual' thing is kind of implied anyways given the lore, as much as it kinda creeps me out how it just happened between her and Artoria ;P it felt almost rapey to me, but whatever floats your boat. Hope you enjoy this chapter with it being longer and has more going on!

 **Hugh_Quacktron** : HA! I got that ;P though I will appreciate a longer Review next time that was funny.

 **SentinalSlice** : Sorry you felt that way, I did try to make it interesting from POV of the various players involved. Regardless I did have fun writing it and I didn't want to pad it out any longer than necessary. I felt like it reached a good conclusion point even if nothing really progressed the overall plot of the narrative. In any case, glad you liked some of it, haha! Hope you like this one a little better!

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And that's it! Thanks a lot for the feedback, every little bit helps. See you all in the next update!


	8. VIII - A Witch's Curse

What was going on?

That's what Bazett Fraga McRemitz was thinking when she had Assassin comb the area of the latest scuffle of the grail war. What he returned evidence of was clothing belonging to the profile of Shirou Emiya, a discarded cloak belonging to The Church's enforcers and traces of a new Servant whose identity eludes her based on energy alone. The last was the evidence of scorched marks akin to the Sun-laced arrows fired by the unseen Archer Servant, making her certain only a handful of Heroic Spirits can replicate such a feat. What worried her was the quality of the mana felt conjured; as if not responsible by the grail.

She had no proof, just a hunch that everything was off. Given the state of this war bringing in a Servant who could fend her attacks off with no drawn weapon and the man who was responsible for transporting her to this plane of reality didn't make it a coincidence. This was purposeful, and the path this war was going to take this early on unsettled her. Still, the cloak of The Church made her feel either the Overseer was at fault or that there is an agent of the clandestine order among them which wasn't impossible for her to believe.

Assassin suggested torturing him for the information, but she had nothing else to go on other than a cloak. Accusations against men of the cloth were bad enough, assault and battery would just provoke an egregious reaction from the looming hand of The Church; which was something no one wanted in this debacle.

" _If he ever gets in my way, I'll let him know just how much he'll regret it_ ," She thought with a sneer as she walked down the aisle, past a puddle bordering the area.

For a brief instance, she felt the presence of a Servant, and her eyes flashed opened with alarm. Twisting around with her arms crisscrossing over her face as blades shot out of the water, defying its shallowness as half a dozen blades had rammed across her being. The arms, protected by runes, deflected the magic completely while her waist and thighs were cut by the elemental attack. Gritting her teeth, she swung her arms back with readiness to engage into combat-

When she saw nothing, and the sense of a Heroic Spirit vanished.

Looking down at her legs as parts of her pants were thrashed, she grimaced at the sight of her now bloodied abdomen and sides. While it wouldn't slow her down thanks to it not hitting any vital spots, she'd have to bandage it if she didn't want to be encumbered hours down the line. It was the late afternoon, after all, and with nightfall came the expectancy of activity of her enemies; something they clearly had no qualms with laying down traps.

Taking a look at the puddle, she observed that the liquid - along with any indicator of her blood making it murky - was gone. Bending down, she grazed her gloved fingers across the now dry indent in the alley earth, giving vibes of a prana distribution. This meant that someone was controlling it from a distance, either remotely as a spell or as a familiar. Clicking her teeth against her tongue, she made a psychic prompt to her Servant to keep an eye out for magical traps around recently disturbed areas of interest.

"Given what Assassin's trail of the city he's followed, there has to be some sort of underground tunnel system that gives opportunity for whomever the mage is doing this. The sensation of a Servant is palpable, so it is likely this is a Caster I'm dealing with. And, if my hunch is right," She thought, looking around to see eyes weren't upon her, the population sparse in this rundown area of Chennai. Twisting around on her legs, she arched right arm up and over, the fist smashing the earth where the water had struck her from, erupting the ground and blowing it out in a massive dirt cloud. Swiping the dirtied air away, she saw with satisfaction of a now visible tunnel, elaborately crafted beneath this street that branched in a number of directions. Stoically narrowing her eyes, she raised a hand to her temple as she hopped into the tunnel, her feet splashing on traces of moisture that's accumulated from the stormy night prior. " **Assassin, I think I found an access point our alleged Caster friend is using. Come down here with me and we might be able to take out one of our lurking opponents early.** "

Taking only a few moments to trail back to her location, the mana manifested into a physical form, still obscured by the native inhabitants' religious trappings while his eyes stared around the dark environment skeptically, " **This definitely is the territory of a Servant; the air reeks of mana in here.** "

" **Which is why we'll stick close together,** " She telepathically replied, keeping their conversation silent to avoid being scried on by the more than likely aware spirit magus. Withdrawing a flashlight from her jacket, she adjusted the silver canister strapped over one shoulder and journeyed forward. Leading the way, she knew it might take hours if not the incoming night to fully navigate this tunnel network, but she was determined to find her prey.

And be one step closer to finding the architect of this Holy Grail War.

* * *

 **F-A-T-E M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K**

 **VIII**

 **A Witch's Curse**

* * *

"DAMMIT SHIROU!" Rin cried out, wandering around the more rundown region of the city with Lancer ghosting beside her. With Cleetus and Saber maneuvering not more than a quarter of a mile away, they were combing every nook and cranny of this foreign city. Every bum, every pedestrian and even tourists didn't escape her vindicating stare that swept all around. People knew to make a wide berth from the angry woman, not knowing why but feeling it was in their best interest to keep away from someone who commanded such a ferocious aura.

Lancer could only sigh as she followed the woman.

Age aside, when it came to her relationship with Shirou, it seemed she was still just as easily incensed as when she last saw them. While they worked well enough together to survive a Servant's might, even for a short while, they still had their quirks to overcome. As one who never had a proper healthy relationship herself, she couldn't really criticize; not after what happened with her step sister.

The disembodied Servant stopped short at a pulse of prana she recognized - more so, since the distinct thrum an old artifact beckoned her - forcing her to speak aloud to Rin, "Master, I sense him!"

"Where?" She inquired, turning her head just in time to see a familiar red-headed man emerge from the darkness of an alleyway they were crossing. Walking towards them, a hesitant expression of relief was shown on him that she mimicked. Rushing over to him, she grasped his collar just as he wrapped his arms over her in a tight embrace. Surprising her, she briefly fought the urge to slap him or resist before she returned it tenderly, smothering her face into her husband's neck. "Don't scare me like that, idiot."

"Sorry, I just got caught up in a scuffle, had to lay low for a bit," He half-truth informed them, not wanting to expose his benefactor so quickly. That and the unsettling resemblance of the girl to the one he failed to save all those years ago. With a troubled expression only the formless Lancer could see, he forced a smile and separated his hug with Rin while holding her shoulders. "How long was I gone, by the way?"

"It was too long, that's what it was!" She harshly cried out, punching him in the shoulder much to his chagrin. "Seriously, we're not even in Fuyuki and you try acting like taking a small walk is no big deal. You don't have a Servant this time around, remember?!"

"Yeah, still trying to come to grips with that," Shirou replied, suppressing the urge to tell her anything that transpired. That was, until he saw her staring hard at him, making him shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other while darting his gaze to the alley wall. "Uh, Rin?"

"I demand details, Shirou! What happened that made you detour from a simple grocery run, as you put it?!"

"It's not like it was on purpose! I saw a guy who was giving me shifty glances and I took off," Shirou explained, leaving out the identity of Miyu as he nervously explained to the critical gaze of his wife. "The guy was strong, too. He was using a lot of different element magics at once, and he had glowing brands with pulsing white eyes-"

"Hold on," Rin stopped him, raising a finger as her eyes furrowed at what he said. "He wouldn't happen to have a goatee and dresses in thick robes, would he?"

"I...think so?" He inquired, remembering the man's face as he smashed into Rho Arias, a pitiful imitation of his best defense projection; even ten years did not afford him the Mana to summon it in the state he did in Unlimited Blade Works. He refined control, limited mana expense and managed to cast it without losing too much stamina, but it cost him its structural integrity. He was no Archer, and he knew he couldn't create a complete version, boasting its fortress durability of near invincible defense power.

It was because he was distracted, that he didn't think about the cost of using such an advanced Projection. Even with layers he had crafted, he had barely any concentration to Reinforce it, making it easy for such a swift and powerful Magus like the one he met break it like glass. His face was etched into his mind when they got nary a hair's breadth from each other before he danced away and relied on his distance or the unspoken fact he was holding a girl under an arm. "He certainly knew who I was."

"He should, cause that's one of the Clocktower's most outstanding faces in its R&D branch," Rin replied stoically, crossing her arms as she explained to him what she knew of the described man. "Kyrios Cirque made a name for himself for developing cutting edge technology that integrated with Magecraft within the past decade that's contributed extremely to the world of modern mages. I've actually attended a lecture of his back then, his reports on mana analysis and Ether infusion is quite stunning."

"Well, glad to know you...idolize him so much," Shirou half-teased, earning another jab to his shoulder which he cried out in defiance. "Hey! No more of that!"

"I should've slapped you, this is just a compromise," She rebuked, huffing as she inclined her head as she finished. "Last thing I heard about him was studying the links of old heroes of the past and how Thaumaturgy of today can potentially duplicate some of the same effects miracles were produced during a bygone era. I think he was also pretty proud of unearthing some artifacts from the Mediterranean, though I kind of lost track the specifics.

"And you said you fought him, in this city?" She inquired specifically.

"He chased me, I held my ground and then I think the Archer Servant sniped me from who-knows-where?!" He exclaimed, vividly remembering the infernal blaze and the explosive force that nearly swallowed himself and Miyu whole. His expression wasn't lost to Rin, making her a bit more worried, so he opted for an embarrassed grin to shake off the memory. "Luckily it wasn't that bad. I think I managed to scare him off enough to retreat; that or something else caught his attention."

"Uh-huh," Rin replied, glaring with a clearly skeptical half-lidded stare aimed at him, arms folded as she tried piercing visually into his mind.

"C-C'mon! Give me some slack!" He retorted, desperate to call off the conversation if only for a while.

"Master, I think we should vacate this area," Lancer intoned, manifesting in her black suited civilian form as the endowed Servant cast a knowing glance to Shirou as she spoke. "This place isn't a good area to be once darkness falls. Closed spaces are an Assassin's ally, after all, so we should make haste back to our suite."

"You're right," The Tohsaka Master sighed, nodding with acknowledgement at the behest of the Heroic Spirit. Thumbing Shirou along, the trio marched back as she plucked in the ear piece for her phone so she could call Cleetus back. "I found him, Silver. We're heading back now."

"Is he wit' anoth'r person?"

"Why would that be?" She questioned, giving Shirou a look that made him visibly turn away.

"Well we've been lookin' for tat' oth'r signat're ourselves and we haven't found any good trail yet. I'll keep lookin' until it gets too late."

"Fine, knock yourself out. Just make sure to remember we've taken extra precautions at night so don't come in after dark expecting a warm welcome," She replied with a sigh.

"I wouldn't expect tat' in the brightest day, ma'am!" He rudely answered, hanging up with a huff.

As she hissed with a press of the button, she turned to look at Shirou angrily before stomping ahead. This left him by Lancer's side, who had expectantly stared at him as the wife led the way.

Once the air died of accumulated tension, the Heroic Spirit finally spoke her mind, "You saw someone you know, didn't you?"

"I wish I did, but it wasn't her," Shirou quietly spoke, his eyes cast a sad glazed look she remembered; one born of pain and doubt of the past. While he was a far cry from the sorry wreck of a boy he was before the 5th Holy Grail War, the toll of his past could never be erased. Instead it was just salt in a reopened wound, giving him precedence to portray this kind of demeanor to her. "She was as disappointed as I was. Apparently she's not from around here and had thought I was, well, her big brother, Shirou Emiya."

"That's not possible," Lancer retorted straightforward. "There must be some sort of mistake."

"I may not remember my family, but I know I didn't have any siblings in those unmarked graves of ash, Lancer," He answered her inevitable question, his eye looking down at his feet as they walked quietly back into the thicker masses of people. "She looked at me, firmly in the eyes, and saw someone else; someone that was me but also not me. I know it sounds crazy but I think she's from somewhere else, like a parallel world or something."

"If that's even true, which is a feat of miraculous rarity," Artoria intoned, her eyes staring at his face as he kept glancing down in deep thought, echoing this ominous question as they headed back to their hotel. "Where _is_ she from?"

* * *

"You should be doing a _Hell_ of a lot more than just thanking me, boss," Angelika snorted as she took the vials of extracted Ether and mana from the ground zero of Rider and Lancer's fight. "It wasn't easy, getting the police and whatever passes as safety workers from getting in my way. There's only so many people you can bribe before you run out of credit and I rather not start that trend because a certain someone decided to chase a magical child."

"She wore a cloak akin to an assassin and bore a prana unparalleled of most mages of the modern world while wielding a magic that is theoretically only possible through very controlled circumstances; in addition, being in cahoots with one Shirou Emiya, the Grail War victor accompanying Lancer's Master, Rin Tohsaka. I'd say my venture helped peel back some very interesting layers to this nuanced conflict of ours, Angelika," He defended himself, leaning against the wall next to the window of their penthouse suite, now robed in his traditional white trappings that he was most comfortable with.

"The fact that I can confirm they survived my arrow doesn't speak volumes of my confidence in killing them easily, Master," Archer cautioned his superior, now dressed in his armor of gleaming scales and enamored breastplate of intricate design.

"It's that barrier of his," Kyrios commented, looking to his hand as he explained. "Shirou Emiya summoned what could only be the Noble Phantasm, Rho Arias. I thought only the greek war hero, Ajax, could wield it but he summoned a fraction of its potential to deflect my Element spells; its full power could potentially make any spell I throw at it useless, let alone the magic I wielded."

"Your magic was useful, to a point," Angelika interceded, still busy at work with analyzing the samples, not feeling the need to turn to explain to brow-raised Archer. "The Ether Brands, catalysts of your family's Magic Crest and your new formula from your decade and a half of research, accumulate Ether in your vicinity and transform it into mana so you can use spells at your whim without taxing your body. However, if you overuse what's available, you'll end up without a proximate supply and bereft of using the brands itself. You'd then have to rely solely on your mana, and fighting a Servant that way would be suicide."

"T-Thanks for explaining how the magic _I_ created works, Angelika," The Master nervously replied, taking it as almost chastisement for the way she seemed to not even adjust her gaze from the work she was doing now.

"I'm just saying, you're not immune to losing mana supply by relying on the Ether Brands. Expending so much magic not only fighting Shirou Emiya but also this other Master was an easy way of leaving yourself completely defenseless if you weren't careful," She sighed, looking over her shoulder wearily before continuing her work.

"I'm no slouch, you should have a little more trust in my abilities."

"I do have faith in your powers; just not your judgement."

"Am I not a strategic mind with a brilliance few can match?"

"Intellect and sensibility aren't the same thing, boss," She retorted with a snort, finishing the last of the computing before it began to churn the information into the machine. Sitting back in her chair, she sighed and gestured to the screen as a buffering process began. "Now that we have everything down, we should wait for your machines to translate the mana and find all traces of it within the given city. This should help us find the Servants and their Masters quicker than wandering around out in the open."

"If possible, may I see the mana sample?" Archer finally spoke up, earning a few looks from both his Master and his assistant. Seeing their expressions, he waved his hands in explanation. "It's one of my abilities. Once I have a tangential understanding of someone's appearance and grasp their energy, I can replicate the basics of their appearance and make myself akin to that person. It's not a flawless transformation like Shapeshifting is, but it's reflected in my tactical knowledge of subterfuge and being the architect of the offering wooden horse that allowed us secret entry into city of Troy."

"Ah! That is useful!" Kyrios remarked with visible gusto. "Perhaps you can take hostage or manage to kill one of the Masters if not their Servants outright. Even if you cannot fight them in their terrain, it'll be a great ambush move and give us an edge in this war."

"It's easy to see through if they know the person intimately, but from the person that Shirou Emiya was trying to rescue, I think I have a means of getting into their headquarters without being noticed," He intoned, grinning broadly with ambition as he explained his machinations to them.

* * *

Hours later and Bazett was starting to get impatient.

She knew based on her cellular device that time had lapsed far more than her own sense of time allowed her. Wandering in the dark, she ventured a guess that whatever this thick miasma of the Heroic Spirit's prana was laced the brickwork and atmosphere of the tunnels in a mana that made its humid and dank interior laced with some form of magic. Going through one tunnel after the other, she expected to find some means of truly tracking her down but found nothing out of place and showing a true lair. At this point, she knew this was probably the work of Caster and it was toying with her.

That is, until she caught sight of a flourish of silk in the corner of her eye.

" **Master?** " Assassin inquired, his mana form craning invisibly at her gesture.

" **I thought I saw something,** " She responded, using their linked telepathy to avoid letting anything slip to the enemy Servant. " **Go take a look.** "

" **At once,** " He replied dutifully, sliding through a particular corridor that led into what looked like a forked passage that led to a sealed ladder up to the surface. There, he turned right and left, trying to determine the best course to take. Choosing the right, he'd feel himself repelled and stumble back, rippling the air of a blue mist at the sight of his intangible form making contact with something. Going to the opposite end, he'd find himself blocked by an invisible wall as well, leading Bazett to try and walk towards him, finding herself impaired as well.

" **Assassin! What's going on?!** " She asked with alarm in her thoughts.

" **I-I don't know! There appears to be barriers of some kind, boxing me in here!** " He replied, physically manifesting as a dragon-marked seal burned alight beneath his feet that mirrored the walls and ceiling of the sealed-area he was trapped in. " **This must be a prison, manufactured to hold a Servant!** "

" **So, that's Caster's game?** " She thought, looking to the end of the hall, seeing a distinct difference in its formation that it was mere minutes ago. " **I see she believes your abilities are too great to simply ignore, so she's trapped you. It's unfortunate she doesn't have a chance fighting someone of the Fraga Clan.** "

" **Be careful, Master. I fear she's far more crafty than we gave her credit for,** " He cautioned her, taking a cross-legged stance, awaiting her return or call via Command Seal; that or the very certain possibility that she'd defeat the one responsible for caging him.

She didn't bother replying, just taking the mission at hand with more caution than before. It annoyed her how easily they fell into Caster's trap without realizing it until too late. The subtlety and attention to detail on the intricacies of how Servants functioned made her wary just how clever this Heroic Spirit could be. Between the manipulation of water, the mist layering the tunnels and the brands that denied movement of Assassin, she was beginning to think she was dealing with a top tier Magus at the least.

Stepping around puddles of water, she did her best to learn from her mistakes from earlier and avoided concentrations of moisture that were most abundant. Maneuvering down one winding corridor after the other, she finally felt an adamant amount of mana collected in an upcoming chamber. Steeling herself, she crouched down and began to nimbly walk towards the unsealed area, eyes narrowing at the luminous pool of water glistening by torchlight lining the circular vaulted area.

Once she finished walking in, a familiar hiss was made and Bazett looked over her shoulder to see a similar barrier erected to the one that walled off her Servant.

"My-My, a brave Magus has walked into my web," A voice penetrated her senses, echoing the chamber and rippling the water at its center. As she peered closer, a shape of water congealed upward into a form akin to an hourglass. Widening and conforming to a higher quality of detail, it began to sewing flesh together along with clothing, unraveling the liquid till a completely solid creature stood upon the water; weightless and otherworldly. A horned crown held a black veil that covered her face, a pair of emerald eyes gleaming behind them as her voluptuous figure revealed the same marking the Fraga Magus had seen before encrusted on her skin from the cleavage down to her exposed navel; bordered by the rest of her black silk dress that swayed by an unseen force that swirled within the chamber.

Silently, Bazett stared, coldly examining her surroundings while Caster smiled in a chilling display of confidence that felt assured from her position. Based on past experience, water seemed to be the favored element this magician favored and had made ample use of it. Charging straightforward would be out of the question, as such a tactic got her Servant stuck in the first place.

So, with a thumbed lift of the cylinder hauled over her shoulder, she tossed it aside with an audible clank. Crossing her hands, she curled fingers into crisscrossed claws before taking a step forward; shattering the ground with a seismic stomp that shook the compound and rattled its foundations to the earth above. The action didn't perturb Caster, but it did make her eyes dilate as the debris surrounding her feet rose up, alight with mana; before being swiped in arching blurs of her hands towards the witch at bullet velocity.

Blades of the luminous water shot up in the path of the projectiles, eviscerating the magic propelled rocks and splashing with the sound of grenades going off in midair, blurring the view between both combatants. In a split instant, that vision was disturbed as Bazett pounced, but not forward, but upward, gloved fingers stabbing the vaulted ceiling and anchoring herself in place to flip over to plant both feet horizontally to the flattest partition, kicking off it to dive faster than her thrown weapons. A lancing arm punched, a head exploding with ichor flying about and a body dismembered as her fist made contact in her rapid dive.

Then, the illusion dispersed, and water splashed as an effigy of what was a body of Caster splashed into the pool that she was now thigh high in.

"A Clone?" Bazett quietly murmured, her eyes scanning the room, knowing that her training made her adept at sensing out Prana signatures and when they were real. It was one thing to make a convincing illusion to swap out a real body, but to outright mimic its properties and blend it into the element itself?

"Please give me more credit, Fraga Magus," Caster chided her in a tutting noise that once again echoed within the chamber. "As if I need to fight you needing a proxy. Not that I can't; I just think it's beneath me fighting a Modern Magus like yourself with my best spells."

"Disrespecting the Fraga Clan so quickly, Caster, is a mistake!" She intoned lowly, raising a hand while a rune cast a gleaming halo over the back of her glove. Clenching it tightly she thrust it towards the water, letting it smash through into the floor, sending it outward away from herself in an explosion of pressure and air.

Instead of the water hitting the walls of the chamber, it moved in a majestic swirling vortex, surrounding her in a roaring torrent akin to an ocean's maelstrom. Bazett bent her legs and angled her arms with readiness, her eyes looking to and fro for where the attack could come from. A sudden twang like an arrow fired from a notched bowstring caused her to twist on the ball of her foot, avoiding a blurring form that left a gash across her cheek. Eyes widened as she remembered this pain. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a gleaming sword of immaculate make, now buried a third of the way into the wet floor with a splatter of her blood it gained from nicking her.

" _That isn't just a sword,_ " She thought, eyes now scanning to see similar gleams sparking up all around the whirlpool surrounding her. " _It's a Noble Phantasm!_ "

"You seem to understand your situation well," Caster noted, her voice as incorporeal as her form. "I'd rather deal with this with as little struggle on your part as possible. But, I'd assume that stubborn Fraga pride will make you uncooperative?"

"As if you'd need to ask!" Bazett snapped out, bending her legs down with hands placed palm down onto the ground.

Pushing upward with a snapping leap, she'd blur upward before flipping upside down, latching onto the ceiling with her hands and digging her heels astride. Looking at the wall of water that spun within the room, she saw no seam to breach, even at the top. Behind the cyclone of moisture she saw sparks, like gleaming metal casting refraction within the magical vortex. Trusting her instincts, she propelled her body towards them, spiraling in a corkscrew to avoid the initial bursts of crafted weapons launching at her with bullet-like speed.

Casting her runes onto her gloved hands, she whipped them forward to catch a sword and a spear that got within arm's length. With the weapons in hand she thrust them forth with her grip steady on them into the wall of water spinning water. Without batting an eye at the sight of the weapons shattering against the whirlpool, she shoved her fists into it at once, creating a seismic impact that shook the room and thundered the depths of the sewer. Her eyes widened as the sight of her rune-enhanced knuckles were grinding against the water, the whole of the surface bending and flowing around it but not losing constitution even against her impressive strength.

"Foolish girl," Caster taunted with a formless laugh. "You can't smash through water enchanted by my magic as easily as stone and steel."

Hissing behind gritted teeth, Bazett amplified the runes by several fold, up to its maximum formation. Pushing off the wall, she kicked off the rotating surface towards another, pulling back her bloodied knuckles to punch through the opposite side. Her fists met the obstacle of more projectiles of varying angles, each one a sword, a spear, or even daggers of all immaculate craftsmanship of shining quality. Dodging in midair to the best of her ability while catching and smashing the ones she could count, she received lacerations and stabs all across her suit-covered body.

Without slowing, she struck the far side of the water wall, pushing it backwards till its speed had all but slowed to a crawl. Like a visibly elastic tug, she finally felt the shell of water give and erupt in a loud pop that sent her rocketing back into the ground with a debris filled crash. What normally could've broken bones and knocked the wind out of a person was shaken off as the torrent of water filled the bottom of the chamber's messed flooring. Emerging from the water, Bazett attempted to stand when she felt all of her body go cold and her muscles freeze in place.

"W-What is this?!" She cried out, seeing the wounds that were inflicted form what were like lines of blood, flowing from her injuries and branding on her like hot irons. Even from her cheek it stretched out, crafting what was the visage of a dragon's face over her own while its skeletal shaped arms wrapped around her bosom through the drenched suit-top and its spine wrapped around her mid center several times around her abdomen. Legs pulsed down the front of her pants to her feet while its tail pulsed up between her tensed shoulder blades and its wings burned down her biceps and triceps to the back of her hands.

"That is my mark, Bazett Fraga McRemitz," A voice sounded behind, finally given form from behind. The sound of feet gracing the top of the water she was submerged in was heard with light claps, as her naked soles were being felt from beyond her reach or sight. Sliding gracefully up behind her, soft hands traced over the burning marks idly, earning strangled chokes of agony by the paralyzed woman. She couldn't see her smile, but she could feel it in the haughtiness of her voice, buttery like silk but dripping with intangible venom. "It is the mark of Dragon Blood, the symbol of dominance and the source of much of my magic. Using my weapons, I carved the appropriate spots and turned your own blood into an agent to craft it. And thanks to the water you've soaked yourself in, it was easy to enact the spell."

Explaining this, Caster found herself surprised.

Throughout her malicious delight in pushing her opponent to this point, she still moved. Agonizing cries reverberated the chamber, echoing through the tunnels of the underground while she moved with purpose. Raising bloodied left glove, the outline of Command Seals were shown. As her voice gutturally cried out, she vocalized her wish.

"By my Command Seal," Bazett intoned, turning her head with bloodshot eyes staring at the veil-covered face of Caster. The Magus heard the ancient specter sigh, her enemy raising a hand to unfasten the veil attached to her crown. Pulled away, her voice ceased and her resistance faltered completely. Her jaw slackened and her eyes became glazed in mesmerisation.

"Honestly, you're all the same," Caster visibly pouted, her ethereal face of unworldly beauty shining within the shimmering light her enchanted water cast upon her face. The pure porcelain skin with eyes of pure emeralds shined with a glow beyond mortal comprehension. Lying beyond it was her Faerie roots, to her true identity that gave rise to this curse of hers; a Mystic Face of a terribly high power for whom any who cast their gaze upon her true beauty will be enchanted into a stupor. "It doesn't matter of the sex or gender. One look at me and they all fall short for me. I don't like having to resort to this level of bewitching, especially to those I don't fancy. Alas, what's done is done."

In a gesture, she compelled Bazett to stand upright, making her face her completely. Grabbing her by the chin, she watched as her brands sunk into her flesh like rippling water, disappearing for the moment until a necessary use. Gazing into her eyes, she spoke to her with a level of authority that befitted her of being the Witch Queen. "Now listen to me carefully. I don't care what stakes in the war you have. You're now my puppet and you'll do whatever I deem fit. You will fathom this and be compelled to agree, no matter how much you don't want to. Do we understand one another?"

"Yes," She dully replied, her trance still in effect, no matter the outside stimuli. "I understand."

"You will use your Servant for my sake when I wish it."

"I will," She answered complicity.

"You will not claim the Grail."

"I won't," Bazett replied dimly.

"And you will not harm me or my Master," Caster intoned, the latter three words with a dangerous edge in her command.

"I won't harm you or your Master," Bazett stated word for word.

"Good," Caster grinned, leaning forward and placing her lips firmly against Bazett's. A moist smack later, lipstick imprinted over the other woman's mouth, before she leaned back and fell into the water. At once, the water seemed to vaporize in a shower of sparks, dancing lights of Mana filling the air in the once damp room. The standing woman swayed in place, still locked into position, seemingly unable to think clearly in a conscious manner.

That is, until a voice echoed in her head.

" **Master! Master!** "

"A-Assassin?" Bazett dreamily spoke aloud.

" **You've finally answered. Have you defeated Caster?!** "

"Caster," She mouthed out, feeling something wet coat her lips. Reaching up with now with a bloodless, torn glove to trace her lips, she'd pull back to see the texture of lipstick on it. Rubbing them together, she tried to piece together what happened, only remembering a fight and then...nothing. Brushing her mouth away, she felt a throb in her head as she stumbled away from the chamber back the way she came. "Are you able to get out, Assassin?"

"I did," His voice sounded from the place she got in, the cloaked Servant staring with a near visible crease of his unseen brow. "You were just standing there, staring off into space. The markings on my trap had faded and I assumed you were victorious but you look pretty ragged. Did she do something to you?"

"I can't...remember," The burgundy haired woman raised a ruined glove to her head, feeling a throb the more she tried to think. "My head hurts. Thinking hurts. I just know that...we shouldn't...fight her."

"What brought this on?" Assassin asked with intrigue.

"A feeling," She tried to dismiss, feeling her headache vanish as she did so.

"You're sure?"

"Must you be so stubborn?!" Bazett gnashed her teeth with a turn and a swing of her hand.

"Pardon my insolence, Master," He humbly apologized with a bow. "But since you did go in fighting Caster alone, without any observers apart from yourself, it'd be unwise to dismiss anything about your encounter here. It is likely she might have placed a spell on you, or cursed you to forget anything about this battle."

"Dictating me how to fight, Assassin?" The Fraga Magus growled.

"Advising. Forgive me again, Master," Assassin bowed his head further.

"Forget it," She dismissed, raising a hand to palm her head, her vision still dizzying to stare straight for too long. "Let's head back. I feel a bit...tired."

"Understood," He affirmed, returning into Mana form in a flicker of azure light. Keeping close to his master, he could tell something was amiss just by the oddity of her posture and lack of focus. A curse was enacted upon her, of that he knew. Of what kind and how severe? He wondered if he should leave her to act alone on her devices but rest was definitely needed. He'd need to think more on this later; he hoped something revealed itself in the next day.

* * *

 **A/N** : And done. Sorry for the delay, been a bit sidetracked with another Fate story and several RL issues that made it harder to update beyond the point of submitting the last chapter.

This was an interesting chapter. Not just because of its briefness compared to its previous chapters (though given how this is building to the next chapter, that should be expected) but I hope the fight that I put in here made up for that. No, what made it interesting was how I devised a means of having Caster fight. I kept mulling over the precision and poise someone like the Witch Queen of Camelot would have, but it became pretty evident when I realized a lot of magic circled around her connection to being related to the Sea Nymphs, and a slew of other accounts credited to her name. I thank the submitted suggestions for her powers for they did help alot in manufacturing the encounter to frame it in the way I did.

And with Bazett dealing with being bewitched by Caster as well as holding a grudge against this "Iron Black," with Kyrios about to launch another assault to our assembled heroes, things are seeming to come to a head in another confrontation. Let's see how it all falls to place in the next chapter! See you all then!


	9. IX - Across the Line

The best laid plans never survived contact with the enemy.

It was these words that cautioned Archer as he made his move towards his quarry. Through the emphatic research done by his master and Angelika utilizing their state-of-the-art equipment, they had triangulated their enemies' last known positions towards probable destinations. One lied directly into the sewers and from there it was just nothing but a thick haze of mana that would be a death trap to any Class of Servant, save for a Saber or an Assassin who entered. Even still, he searched across any nearby openings to the underground where either one may resurface.

Luckily for him, he caught sight of him along with the rest of their allied cohorts. From over his tall perch southwest, from five kilometers, he could make out their features and expressions. An underlying worry layered over their conversations that was translated to him from his use of Eye of the Mind. They -those within the one called Shirou Emiya's company- had been searching for him since he was chased off and assaulted by Kyrios and himself. Now that he could make out their trail from a safe distance, he could inform his master from here and intone them his thoughts.

" **Master, its Archer.** "

" **What is it, My Lord? Have you found our target?** "

" **Yes, and you were right,** " Archer replied through his mental link, still a considerable distance away from the Magus back at his suite room with his lovely assistant. " **It appears that this Miyu is based in the underground of this city. From the condition Shirou Emiya appears to be in, she or her Servant had applied enough aid that he's back on his feet, regardless of injuries he was inflicted with.** "

"That confirms she's either Assassin or Caster's Master," Kyrios deduced, stroking his chin as he pontificated aloud while telepathically sharing his thoughts with his Servant. "Rider's Master, while cautious, can not obscure such a proud warrior underground. While it is possible Berserker is down there, I don't think it'd be as advantageous to have a more savage class of Heroic Spirit operate in such a confined space. No, that only can work in confidence with someone of skills with Assassin or Caster, the latter of which I'm leaning towards more now that I can think about it."

"It'd explain the cloud of mana interference our machines keep picking up," Angelika added for Kyrios' benefit, gesturing to the elaborate set of machinery she was seated in front of. "It can pick up traces of Mana and Ether just fine on the outside. But it seems purposefully obscured in what I can only describe is a fog of mana that's blanketing anything coming in or out. Waiting for something to come was the best course after all."

"I'm glad you can agree with me, for a change," The Master of Archer sighed with a shake of his head.

"Oh please," Angelika rolled her eyes, returning to observing the readings on the data screens. "If you need my affirmation so badly, you wouldn't have brought me along to be your handler."

"But I like getting acknowledgement!"

"I know," She snorted. "I've seen the turn-out for your conferences. You eat up all of the attention."

"If you were more of a people person, I'd let you come along-"

"And leave all of your work piling up?" Dark haired woman turned her head around her shoulder, balking incredulously. "You do know you have a propensity of putting off logistical work, right?"

"Now that's not all my fault-!"

" **I'll keep a close eye on them from a distance until further notice,** " Odysseus replied with a mental sigh. " **I'll let you two hash it out in the meantime.** "

"W-Wait! Back me up here, Archer!" Kyrios cried out with mortification.

"In my experience with women, there are some fights best done with others in your stead; thus I leave this to you."

"Archer! ARCHER!"

Archer knew this wasn't going to be an easy task; but dealing with the two of them when a fight was brewing was maddening to juggle with!

Keeping track of his quarry, he'd swear that Lancer had looked in his direction at least once before turning away. A belated sight left him as minutes passed and he'd be forced to move if he was to keep track of the lot. A leap off the building, he'd dissolve into a fluid rain of mana as he'd become incorporeal and surge to another vantage point swiftly. Even as he passed the citizens of this nation and inhabitants of this city he wondered just how much of a challenge it'd be to take them down with just his powers alone?

As those thoughts lingered in his mind, he continued to stalk his prey, and keep at a distance; waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike!

* * *

 **F-A-T-E M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K**

 **CHAPTER IX**

 **Across the Line**

* * *

Shirou felt uneasy. More than usual. Even greater than the escape of death's jaws in a freak conflict he had with an infamously influential Magus from the Clock Tower. This tension had been building since his reunion with his wife, Lancer and their newfound allies in Cleetus with Saber. The sensation itself was both familiar and foreign, though it was too obscure for him to track. It was like the time he could fathom the distance between himself and his future counterpart, Archer EMIYA, when he readied attacks from the horizon's scope in Fuyuki.

But the unknown Archer Servant made this all the more troubling.

"Shirou?" Rin asked with a turn of her head. She saw the crease in his brows, the look of seriousness that crossed his tanned features that contorted in a way that worried her from a periphery glance. Seeing his hazel eyes raise to look at her blue orbs she felt the immediate danger that was being conveyed through a single glance.

A swift turn of her head, she in turn silently informed her own black-suited Servant of an impending threat. Discreetly they moved ahead to tell the other pair ahead of them of a looming menace not far away. Saber nodded with affirmation and Cleetus raised a brow with suspicion.

"How do ya know 'dat? I 'aven't even smelled anythin' outta the pecul'ar," He whispered lowly to Rin.

"First, everything smells here," The Tohsaka Magus replied with narrowed eyes, glaring at the unorthodox master across from her. "Secondly, I trust Emiya to let me know when something far away is stalking us. He's the second best shot I know and I trust his instincts."

"Uh-huh, only second best? Who was da' first?"

"My original Servant from the previous war," She responded without skipping a beat.

"Wait, but, how is it fair ta compar' a human-?"

"Master," Saber interrupted, turning his silver-head to gesture with his head. "I suggest we detour away from our current base of operations. Until we either lose our threat or fight it off, there's no good that can come of the enemy learning where we stay."

"And where can we go?!" The cowboy hat toting Mage turned with incredulity, gesturing around with both hands. "'Tis ain't our turf! Unless any of ya can dis'ern a place in 'tis damned city 'tat we can fight wit'out obstacles, we might as well mark our location wit' a big red X!"

Biting his lip, the Heroic Spirit of Galahad turned away, grimacing with inability to answer right away. They were out in the open, and based on process of elimination it was more than likely the unseen Archer Servant that was stalking them from a distance. Even if that wasn't the case, it was too far away for any of their powers to be of use and maintaining their course will only advance the enemy's agenda. It could disappear if chased deliberately, and return once they go back to regroup.

Turning to look at Lancer, she looked stoic but unable to produce a strategy herself. In close quarters, Archer Servants weren't a match for either of them, but this was a skilled warrior based on previous accounts. If prompted, it could more than likely wear them down by the sheer volume of attacks and they'd be unable to approach for a counterattack.

"I'll draw its attention," Shirou finally spoke up, prompting looks of surprise from Rin and Cleetus; Saber raised a brow of interest and Lancer bore an expression that showed the least amount of surprise of the assembled. The red-head turned to look at them, explaining with hands gesturing simply. "I think, as I am now, I should be able to be a match for its skill at the least. If I could keep it distracted long enough, you can close the distance and cut its escape off or disable any chance of allies assisting it."

"This plan has merit," Lancer answered first, a gloved hand raised to grab her own chin, rubbing it with a thoughtful look poised at him. "Your archery skills lend you a certain advantage over the other masters in this war. Not to mention your magic is complementary to enable you to fight on this Archer's terms. However, it still is a Servant. If hard pressed, it could unleash a Noble Phantasm none of us are aware of and end the fight preemptively."

"Not to mention it could see through your ploy and still take shots at anybody that's approaching," Rin added with a sour look aimed at her husband. Crossing her arms, she furrowed her brow and pointed a glare at him that made him wince just looking at it. "It's very reckless, especially since the last time he took a shot at you, you were out of commission for awhile."

Saber sighed, raising a hand of his own, intoning a level of maturity that was more neutral and more objective, "I see the benefits and setbacks of this plan in either regard. We don't have much of a choice in how to contend with this threat as we are now. A more optimum solution with less likelihood of casualties would be to scatter and regroup when its certain we lost our pursuer; but in doing so, we lose the advantage in numbers and have a higher risk of encountering other enemies while we are are on our own."

"Taking out Archer will sooner rather than later will benefit us in the long run," Shirou insisted, raising a hand up in a clenched fist. "Trust me, I can take whoever it is on. Just give me enough time and you guys can cut off escape. It will have no choice but to stand and fight."

Taking a toothpick out of his coat's pocket, Cleetus put one in between his teeth as he formed an entertained grin.

"Tis time 'da hunt'r become 'da hunt'd," He intoned with glee, turning to look at Galahad with a wink. "I like it. Sab'r, yer wit' me. I got an idea."

The maverick hero could only look back at his master with reluctance and mounting dismay. Whenever his partner had something in mind, it was probably going to be absent of sanity and incredibly reckless. In a way, it reminded him of a friend he had made a long time ago, whom had inspired him to be the man he ended up becoming.

" _He may not have your charm, but he has your spirit, Lancelot,_ " He thought as he followed the gunslinger along a dark shadow within the less body clogged path.

Just as Rin and Lancer moved to the opposite area, Shirou inhaled deeply.

Exhaling, his amber eyes opened wide with a spark of cerulean flaring over his dark orbs.

" **I Am The Bone Of My Sword!** " He intoned, his limbs enhanced by lines of Strengthening Magic that propelled him with a force he hadn't felt since the most dire of moments from circling the globe alone. Leaping up in a physical one eighty twirl, his eyes already caught sight of the twinkling of a distant figure. A grimace formed across his face as he stretched one hand up and conjured the form of his signature black bow.

" **Steel Is My Body And Fire Is My Blood!** " The red-haired magus chanted, his hand forming what his mind had branded into his thoughts since the battle of thunder and lightning. An arrow manifested in an upward crawl of materialization, the framework of a lacquered stem of wood till a bronze arrowhead was tipped at the surface, alight in flame of mana.

" **I Have Made Over A Thousand Weapons!** " Shirou snarled aloud, mana surging through his veins with a renewed vigor that he hadn't felt in his whole life. It wasn't flame of pain, as it was used to be. Now his nerves were aligned in perfect conjunction and became embroiled in a sensational heat that spurred him further into action.

" **Unaware Of Loss Nor Aware Of Gain!** " He growled out, notching the arrow during his descent and pulling it back to full taut. Ribbons of energy snapped and cracked the air, his body a conduit of power that his bow's payload will provide the catalyst for unleashing. Kneeling on one leg and bending the other, he arched his back up, his eyes dilated with focus and his mind reeled with information, tasking itself with coordinating a calculated strike while formulating the full power of this one arrow.

" **I Have No Regrets, This Is The Only Path!** "

Bellowing aloud with full resolve, the red haired archer released the string and fired his arrow.

* * *

Archer found himself lost for words.

As he had kept a close eye on the traveling band of allied masters and servants he swore one of them had noticed him. Even at this distance he felt a common pull of awareness, a sharpened sense that one could only understand from a mutual common skill they shared. Though the famed King of Ithaca had many skills in life, the one thing he was revered and known for especially in his home was his prowess with the bow.

So when his enhanced sense of sight picked up the sudden scattering of his enemies, he was already on the move. But what's more, one of them had spun up and locked gazes with him. It was frighteningly uncanny!

What came next was a stunning display of magecraft he had only heard through secondhand account from his master. A bow of unknown design from his own observation and an arrow crafted out of thin air as if it was plucked from his own quiver. He could tell the man was speaking something -a ritual perhaps?- as he landed, coiling back with anticipated fervor to unleash a devastating long-ranged attack.

A pluck of a string and a cast of flames sprung from the missile that let loose its coordinated path of destruction. Whistling with an accelerated drive to make contact with him in under seconds, Odysseus felt a moment of respect for this fellow archer of his. Withdrawing his own arrow and pulling it back with a backward lean with spread, bent legs, Archer himself let loose the true projectile that bears the power from his name.

In the blink of an eye, his arrow's head struck the other within a opposing comet of fire that rammed into one another simultaneously. An elliptical explosion carved through the airspace above the ramshackle structures. The shockwave blew a gust of hot wind back across the man's well chiseled face, his hair bristling and his skin feeling a tinge of the spike of dangerous burning temperatures within eyesight.

" **Archer? What's going on?** " He heard Kyrios call out in concern through their mutual link.

" **It seems the enemy has caught on,** " The Servant replied mentally, his eyes already affixed to locating any hint of movement tracing to where they could have gone from here. " **The one you called Shirou Emiya? He fired my own arrow back at me to smokescreen their next ploy.** "

" **You sound excited. I gather you already have figured out their next move?** "

" **They have few options without me escaping or giving chase. The most likely, and bold choice is to grab my attention with a preemptive strike while the faster, more maneuverable of the group flanks me,** " He began to explain, notching three more arrows across the base of his lowered weapon.

Then, as if on cue, he turned to see an armored horse springing up into the air. Swiftly riding up to his altitude and defying gravity the steed galloped across the sky straight towards him in a flickering motion that appeared ethereal.

Bringing his arrows to bear in a horizontal drawing of his bow, his eyes noticed something in the instant he was readying a strike. Instead of the heavily armored Lancer riding upon the mount, it was the brunette master, whose hands became subsumed in a flame with a black epicenter roiling within. With poise and cunning marksmanship, she unleashed a salvo of fire enhanced Gandr, straight towards the Archer Servant with extreme prejudice.

Unleashing the payload, the cacophony of magic bolts detonated and then pierced through the triage of blasts that his projectiles ordinarily would've left a trail in while she continued to charge. Leaping away in a cartwheel across the tall building's roof tiles, he was in the midst of notching an arrow while going through the possible places the Heroic Spirit -whose mount she was deprived of- could be.

A sudden eruption of the spiral shaped spear launched from beneath his feet, eradicating the tiles and sending the debris scattered in a burst of magically enchanted air.

Leaping away to the edge of the roof, Archer candidly acknowledged aloud while pulling the arrow back to his ear to take aim at her helmet's slit, "Quite the effort to take me down, don't you think?"

"We wouldn't operate with any less resolve for any other opponent, Archer!" She shouted through her helm, the metallic reverberation echoing into the air as she twisted around and hefted her lance in preparation for retaliation.

" **You're outmatched in close quarters, Archer. You know this, right?** "

His master's warning was unwarranted. Archer knew the strength and leveled out the weakness of each of them. Lancer could only attack in a quick forward thrust and the brunette riding her steed could only go so fast on an unfamiliar mount but relied heavily on multiple shots of her magecraft. This duo alone was trouble to deal with, and the others could arrive at any moment.

So, instead, Odysseus aimed for the one spot they wouldn't act upon right away.

Twisting the bow around from Lancer, she'd widen her eyes behind her helmet a second too late to see him take aim at the center of the building.

Her shout of warning came too late as a plume of fire and backlash of force billowed out to blow back the horse mounted Rin while cleaving through several floors of infrastructure till it hit the street on the other side. Screams were unveiled and a sickening feeling crossed over her as she turned to calm her horse to protect her master out of impulse in a hasty leap to Rin's side.

Which left Archer clear to leap off the building's rooftop to vault straight over to another.

The sudden spike of realization he was being targeted, however, crawled up the Heroic Spirit's corporeal spine. Turning around in the middle of his jump he saw a man toting regalia and affects akin to someone who belonged in the southwest of America. He was one of the ones traveling with Lancer and seemed to have been designated as Saber's master, but now was taking aim with a rifle of an old but modified make; the Henry Repeater fired, not at him but where he was soaring towards.

Now, Servants on their own were highly resistant to weapon fire of the modern era. Archer knew this, and any Heroic Spirit with a few brain cells to work with could fathom this fact. It was a moronic tactic to attempt to slay anyone of supernatural creation such as the seven summoned for the Holy Grail War with conventional weapons of the Modern Day. Doing so regardless of this either showed signs of ignorant stupidity or...

The unsettled feeling was justified when the bullet struck the side of the roof and disassembled in a chain reaction that made Archer wide-eyed with alarm. The round that ordinarily would just ricochet or embed itself into the material lit aflame of condensed mana, unleashing itself like a bomb, exploding with a ferocious blast that it took half of the top floor with the roof in its connection. It was a feat of Cleetus Silver's that made his method of combat both unpredictable and incredibly dangerous.

"Ngh!" Odysseus grimaced as the blast threw him away from the desired building and his back instead flew towards the window-less face of the tower-shaped-structure behind him. The impact of the physical rebound his spine had sparked an iota of pain, insignificant compared to the burns of the blast that one rifle bullet left on his front. Still, his age-old instincts enabled him to break his fall as he tumbled to a crouch on the space below, just in time to hear the cock of the Magus Killer's rifle.

"A non-traditional Master tries to kill me with a gun. A fitting attempt, but ultimately futile," Archer chuckled as he righted himself up, already keen on the fact Lancer and her master was on their way to catch him while this man held him up. "You caught me in the air, but on the ground? I can easily reach you before you even pull the trigger."

"Maybe. Why not try me ta find out?" He drawled out in a challenging stare aimed at the man.

Archer didn't hesitate to take up the task, he wasted enough time losing Lancer and her master.

Coiling his muscles back, he crouched, his eyes fixated on the finger that was pulling back the trigger. Bending down he saw the mechanism click and he bolted forward in a blur of motion. The bang followed by the small projectile spun in the air, his eyes tracking its trajectory and saw it fell short of hitting his hunched over upper body. Whizzing past he sought out the barrel of the weapon as the shooter was in mid-cock, the look on his face widening with surprise at how quickly he got up to him.

But, within the shadow of the building came another hand that whipped out to catch the Servant.

"Tsk!" He clicked his teeth, twisting around as he stepped on the earth, his hand now deflecting the weapon of Silver's while swiping his bow at the armored palm that narily caught himself. Even as he skid backwards he saw the platinum locks of a young Heroic Servant, now swinging a substantially sized shield in his other hand. Doing all he could to avoid being beaten outright, Odysseus pulled his bow back and held it with both hands, bracing against the incoming enamored metal disc of cross-emblazoned imagery.

His arms rattled from the force, like a hammer that collided into his arms that was only safeguarded by the durability of his iconic bow. His heels ground against the earth, feeling the wall of the opposing building he smacked into seconds earlier thud against his shoulder blades. Gritting his teeth, the Servant looked at the pair of enemies and saw Cleetus already hoisting his weapon to bear to deliver another explosive shot, with Saber raising his shield to defend against the damage.

"It seems that you cornered me," He chuckled, raising his hands up with bow in hand. "I surren-"

 _BANG!_

Archer's eyes dilated at seeing the trigger pulled and the weapon fire. Even as he tried to feign helplessness, his opponent didn't hesitate to get a clean shot. The body of his whisked into a blue stream of mana, particles moving in a streak with fractions of a second to spare as the bullet collided with the foundation. Drilling into the foundation, the bullet sunk into the mortar and stone within the barrier and...

The explosion never came.

"Fuck!" Cleetus snarled, cocking his rifle as he looked around for his quarry, while Saber blinked with surprise of his own. "Where he go?!"

"He's a slippery one," Saber murmured, his eyes shifting over his left. "Good news, I can tell which way he went. He wasn't whisked away through a Command Spell so at least we aren't starting from square one."

"So he did get away, huh?"

The two heard a discontented voice broach them as a silvery-white horse landed beside them, this time with Lancer on the reins and Rin holding onto her from behind. It wasn't long until they heard Shirou's rapid footsteps approach them and he slid around with his Bakuya and Kanshou. All of them looked to each other, knowing that while they had managed to scare away their pursuer, they were far from managing a clean victory.

"So what now?" Shirou asked aloud with doubt clouding his mind. "Should we pursue, or discreetly rendezvous back to our hideout?"

"If we leave now, he can always twist around and follow us again," Rin surmised.

"But if we chase him now, he could find a better spot to take shots at us," Saber countered with a narrowed glare in the direction their opponent left. "We'll have to be careful approaching him now."

"We have ta go aft'r him," Cleetus sneered, hoisting his rifle over his shoulder with one hand while looking to the rest with a fixed stare to the others that made up the alliance. "We can't allow such a hawk eye ta run loose in da' city. We got lucky tis time. Who's ta say we'll get 'nother opp'r-tuni-'tay?"

"Listening to you speak makes my brain hurt," Rin muttered under her breath.

"What was tat-?"

"No, Silver's right," Shirou intoned with a determined glint crossing his amber eyes. "Let us pursue Archer, and take him down!"

Rin smiled with Lancer, soon gaining a look of respect from Saber and Cleetus. With their minds decided, the latter pair rushed in tandem with Shirou while Lancer rushed ahead. Now they had a trail to follow, only one question lingered in the back of their minds:

Where would Archer go, now that his targets were pursuing him?

* * *

Kyrios knew this was a gambit from the start.

Tracking the enemy from a distance was always going to have a price in case there was a factor that couldn't be calculated. The moment that one of them had the capability of tracking Archer's shots from afar was when the long-range game was doomed to fail from the start. That and combine the element that the enemy possessed two Heroic Spirits working together alongside three mages, even a legend such as Odysseus was going to struggle winning.

Ever since the Kyrios pursued him and the mysterious girl with Heroic Spirit powers, he had a feeling this man was going to be a problem. A survivor from a previous Holy Grail war and then a victor of the next. Shirou Emiya had the qualities of an upcoming hero and was a dangerous idealist to boot. Paired together with Rin Tohsaka, another victor of the previous conflict with boundless potential and prodigious talent. She had keen eye for detail and was known in the Mage Association while impulsive just as she was possible for making daring plans. That and their third ally, Cleetus Silver, was an infamous man known for bounty hunting work for tracking down renegade mages and other surly actions that the Association didn't condone but ignored for the results he brought in for them from abroad.

" **Archer, can you shake them?** " Master Cirque inquired through his mental link with his Servant.

" **I'm afraid that will be next to impossible. Even in a crowd of people, my mana is a bit hard to lose entirely. I'm good but I'm no Assassin.** "

" **Fighting five against one is certainly not the kind of odds I'd like to wager against. I'd sooner pit you against Berserker than against a well coordinated team like them,** " Kyrios admitted with a grim smile. " **Whenever he decides to show up, anyways.** "

" **I think a tactical retreat would be favorable, much as I am remiss to miss a good fight!** "

"Understood," He spoke aloud, raising a hand up in preparation. " _By the power of my Command Seal I order you to-!"_

" **Hold a second!** " His Servant suddenly exclaimed with haste.

" **What? Did you see something?** "

" **Synchronize your senses with mine. I spotted something.** "

Kyrios placed a finger on his temple, trying to focus in on his Servant's senses to pick out what was happening. Gone was the penthouse suite of the fancy hotel he had obtained in his city. Now he was standing in the middle of a mass of people, currently enamored in a disguise of Archer's making, resembling the young master that he had personally come to blows with against with earlier that day. The skill was a use of the Heroic Spirit's time both using subterfuge and confusing his own identity to others in the past through guile and clever obstruction, especially thanks to the Divine aid of Athena from which this skill uses magic from the Age of the Gods.

The sea of people were a great cover, despite being a distinct child among a sea of native citizens to the city itself. But among the people was one shadowy figure that seemed to be inscribing something near the opening of an alley. As he stood, they could see his body was obscured, but he was of average height with a stocky build. One could make the assumption this person could easily handle himself and this was only extenuated by him seemingly bristling with an ebbing outline of shadow before sinking into the earth.

" **Follow him, Archer. Do not let him escape!** "

" **Just making sure we were on the same page, master,** " He replied, sliding through the sea of people with ease. Taking a look, Master Cirque could tell as well as his Servant that the pursuers were on top of the roofs of the street's adjacent building. They too could see him but not take immediate action thanks to Odysseus' current form. They could even see the red-haired one look nervous, as if doubting what he was seeing but not quite make a move itself.

" **You were right to take this shape, my lord,** " Kyrios intoned with humor and respect. " **It seems this Shirou Emiya is truly aligned to her in some way.** "

" **We can take advantage of that fact later. But for now, let's see what our mystery man made,** " Archer replied mentally, kneeling at the opening of the alley. There they could see a jagged number of markings made by a knife, with sprinkled dust that looked dull red. Grasping the grains, he rubbed it together and found it had a black-like quality, but also had a distinct scent that the Servant and Master knew all too well. " **This is dry blood, gathered along the body of the blade. I'm more experienced encountering and battling people of magic persuasion in my lifetime but I am far from an expert. What do you think, master?** "

" **And those markings of a very old looking sigil. Even through your senses I can't tell if this for a summoning, a bounded field, but it definitely looks ritualistic,** " Master Cirque thought, his own brows knitting with a pensive expression. " **Despite the make-up being crude, this doesn't feel like the working of an amateur. There's something very specific to this kind of marking.** "

" **I can easily follow his trail,** " Archer informed his master.

" **Do it, but pull out the moment it comes to a confrontation. We haven't a clue to what this individual is capable of,** " The Master warned him.

" **If I'm pulled into a confrontation you'll may need to interfere. I'm not the kind of person who can easily withdraw once I'm committed into a conflict.** "

" **Thanks for reassuring me.** "

" **Always here to put your mind at ease, my master.** "

* * *

He was being followed.

The figure known currently by the alias of Iron Black continued to maneuver with a purposeful gait. His current shadow doubled as both a proxy and an extra pair of hands. While he was busying himself with amassing the necessary sigils to enact the next stage of his plan he had assumed there was a potential possibility of trackers. For once he wasn't being followed by the woman he spared, finding her use to be of greater value inhibiting his enemies rather than scorning his own endeavor.

With a stop within the back end of an alley, he saw the last of the setting Sun's light twinkle in the horizon and night officially begin anew. Grinning, the shrouded figure turned to await his quarry. Coming in the shape of a small child, he gave a bit of pause. Not until the gleaming rays of reversion changed from small and petite to tall and muscular did he realize what had transpired.

"Hello stranger," Archer greeted with a jovial tone, raising his bow and pulling the string taut with a missile ready to launch at the slightest twitch. "Might I ask what that marking was for?"

A raspy chuckle let loose from his double's throat, eyes of a dim glow boring into Archer's with a faintly visible grin intact on his visage.

"Death always follows the Holy Grail Wars of the past. I'm merely a collector of wasted souls, caught in the crossfire. I've done this countless times in the past, for this war and from the great blight centuries ago. With it I am _black_ as the death that gifted me with this power, and my blood shall become the _iron_ that shall strike the era of gods back into this plane," He proclaimed, his voice warped as the air distilled with a sickly lime hue. Raising his hand upward, he showed a blood crest of his Command Seals. From what Archer beheld, it showed him what looked like a mask with two hollow eyes and a crescent blade within the bottom half of the circle carved into his flesh. "Test me, if you dare, _Archer_. But I swear to you, your arrow will not reach me _this_ time."

He knew he was being baited, but the Heroic Spirit was curious. This strange energy was belonging to the mysterious being that ambushed the one known as Bazett from the other night. He had an ominous magic about him but, as his eyes allowed him to see, it looked like it had a limited circumference of influence. If he was farther away, he could chance at testing the limits of this strange magecraft that he possessed.

But, as he felt the incoming mana of Saber and Lancer, he realized he was running out of time.

Sensing this as well, the master hissed, his head turning in the direction that Archer sensed as well.

"It seems my fun is interrupted. Very well," He spoke, his body sinking into the shadow and crawling over the wall away from him. "I'll let _you_ handle this on your own."

Archer felt uneasy about what he meant by that. Why was the master speaking in such ominous proclamations? Was he that assured in his own victory, or was there another purpose in sharing this information with him, knowing that his own master may be listening in?

His senses, however, informed him of a sudden manifestation of a daunting magical energy. Eyes widened palpably, his head veering left and right, trying to notice where it was coming from. With his arrow still notched he held his projectile intact as he tried to home in on this overwhelming aura that was ebbing into the atmosphere.

Then, came the bellow.

Like thunder it hearkened above, a beast or something worse shouted aloud with feral fury. Archer's keen eyes could see whom was responsible, having just arrived over his head.

There came a leaping figure with hair like fire separated into two tendrils like snakes from a crimson scalp. Elaborate pauldrons marked its shoulders with a triage of blades angled with the flow of the armored padding. Bristling fur of blood dye wrapped around a muscular neck, forearms, complementing the oriental depiction of a fang-bearing dragon breastplate of golden-scarlet shades. Black silken legs with yellow fabric twined boots, swung out, a massive halberd engrossed in a thick swathe of mana held in hand.

That was then thrown straight for his location at a frightening velocity.

Archer let loose the arrow, mere instants before he'd finally be rend from his placement forcibly by his master's Command Spell. A whisk of blue light and he disappeared, his fiery missile all but exploding against the mass of metal hurtling towards it. Once it passed through, the Noble Phantasm hurtled down till it struck the earth.

From there, the structures were torn from their hinges, tile and dirt blown back with a mana-fueled flame that detonated from the magical missile that struck the earth. Rolling flame of a massive bloom enveloped the whole of the street, digging deep into the earth and consuming entirety of the neighboring populace proximate to its gaping maws of death. The dragonic effigy etched into the light that eradicated what would've been its intended target had taken the lives of hundreds surrounding its vicinity.

All that remained was a distinct halberd, plunged into the earth and still steaming.

Landing beside it seconds later with a palpable thuum, came the Heroic Spirit responsible. His boots indented the earth and his blank whites for eyes looked around for the figure he had intended to kill. Letting out a snort, the hairless brow curled into a frown, letting the red ceremonial paint express his anger like smoldering heat as the cracks outlining his jaw showed the scars with a succinct visual sign that he once had painful facial injury. Stroking an armored chin, he reached out and pulled his halberd out of the earth, swinging it about till it lied onto his shoulder, as if contemplating something.

But then, a look of fury struck across its face as teeth bared and eyes glistened with a golden tongue of fire. Twisting around he turned to see some who lived within the blast radius. The deconstruction of what looked like a sizable wall of light of a magnificent city from its center was a shield; one that was brandished to defend a collaboration of mana abundant targets. One of them was stunned, holding a weapon in hand but not yet firing out of shock. Another, whose female anatomy indicated a tremble and hesitation to engage, with one of a lion depiction's armor gleaming with a dense Aura. Another had a head of fire and a gleam of anger in his eyes, holding what looked like a white blade in one grip and a black sword in the other.

Releasing another earth shaking bellow of fury, his skin producing veins along what skin was visible that his armor didn't cover. Eyes glowing a golden ember, he swung his halberd around and gripped it with both hands. With teeth bared, steam hissing between the cracks, he snorted a flame of mana that bristled from within.

As the final Servant had made itself known, Berserker has begun to fight!

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 **A/N:** Sorry for the delay guys. Let's just say a lot of things came in between last time and now that made updating pretty hard to do. I'm glad this story has gotten the traction it does and the love/criticism that something of noteworthiness it deserves. I'll keep trying to add more to this project and hopefully reach a deserved conclusion. I can only wonder who you guys believe this Heroic Spirit to be; good luck guessing who Berserker is!


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